A glossary of North country words, in use : with their etymology, and affinity to other languages ; and occasional notices of local customs and popular superstitions

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A

GLOSSARY

OF

i^ortl) Country W^xs^t^,

IN USE;

THEIR ETYMOLOGY,

AND •

AFFINITY TO OTHER LANGUAGES;

AND OCCASIOMAL

NOTICES OF LOCAL CUSTOMS

AND

POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS.

BY

JOHN TROTTER BROCKETT, F. S* A.,

LONDON AND NEWCASTLE.

|3etD(a0tIe it^on 'Cpne :

EMERSON CHARNLEY, BIGG-MARKET; AND
BALDWIN AND CRADOCK, LONDON.

MDCCCXXIX.

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lOANSWibt

Les mots sont le lien des soci^t^ le Tebicule des lumiereq^ 1ft basr
des sciences, les d^positaires des decouvertes d'une Nation, de son sa-
Yoir, de sa politesse, de ses id^s : ia connoissance des mots est done
un moyen indispensable pour acquerir celle des choses; de-li ces
Ouvrages appell^s Dictionnaires, Vocabulaires ou Glossaires, qai of-
frent I'^tendue des coqpaissances de chaque Peuple.— •Ge6e{t».

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TO

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
JOHN GEORGE, LORD DURHAM,

BAUOK DURHAM OF THE CITY OF DURHAM, AND OF LAMBTOK
CASTLE IN THE COUNTY PALATINE OF DURHAM,

THIS NEW EDITION OF A WORK,

INTENDED TO PRESERVE AND ILLUSTRATE THE ANCIENT AND

ENERGETIC DIALECT OF THE NORTH,

IS,

WITH HIS LORDSHIP*S PERMISSION, MOST

RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BY

THE AUTHOR.

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J^x^utt^

The Glossary before the Reader is the result of those
hours of literary ^musementy when it was thought necei*
sary to unbend the mind from professional labour. ' The
Author has felt much satisfaction at the favourable recep-
tion which his former attempt to collect and' preserve die
relics of our good old Northern dialect has received from
some of the first literary characters of the age. He has,
in particular, been gratified by the approbation of several
gentlemen of grelEit. philological learning, in both king*
doms ; among whom he is proud to rank the Rev. H. L
Todd, the profound editor of two editions of Dr. Johnson's
naticinal work, with the most valuable additions ; and the
Rev. Dr. John Jamieson, whose Etymological Dictionary
of the Scottish Language contains a labour of lexicogra-
phy, as elabors^ and comprehensive as aqy that has yet
appeared.

The Author may be permitted to denominate this an
entire new work, rather than a sec<md edition of his for-
mer pid>lication. Independent of the numerous additions,

b

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vi PREFACE.

which further research and communication, both with the
living and the dead, have enabled him to give, all the old
articles have undergone a complete revision, and most of
them are re-written. A wider range has been taken,
and a variety of circumstuices relative to the usages of
the olden time, as well as to the local customs and popu-
lar superstitions of the present day, have been introduced.
The ancient traditions of the country are entitled to more
regard than is generally given to them by the fastidious.
However hyperbolically exaggerated, or concealed from
the perception of this enlightened age, few of them are
wholly false.

The Glossary has been made much more copious in
tlie etymological department**alike interesting to the an-
tiquary and the philologist. Every scholar is aware of
the extraordinary analogy of various languages. Jn many
of the articles will be frequently found noticed the words
of similar origin, appearance, and meaning, in the cognate
dialects, ancient an4 modem, of the North of Europe^
which may be truly said to form the warp and the woof
of English, and on which the flowers of Greece and Rome
have been embroidered. Notices are also given of striking
affinities, in sound iand meaning, with different other lan-
guages ; though these are not always sufficient to consti-
tute an et3rmon.

• It is unnecessary to adduce reasons for preserving our
old words. They are generally simple and expressive,
and often more emphatic than their modem synonymes*

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PREFACE. vii

By the revival of a more general relish for early English
writers, the Reader will imperceptibly acquire a habit of
regarding them in the light of their pristine dignity. He
will no longer hastily pronomice to be vulgarisms what
are in reality archaisms — ^the hard, but deep and manly,
tones and sentiments of our ancestors. The book will
prove how much is retained of the ancient Saxon speech —
in its pure unadulterated state — ^in the dialect of the
North of England, which also exhibits more of the lan-
guage of our Danish progenitors than is to be met mth
in any other part of the kingdom.

Our Northern words and terms, though often dii^iuised
in different spelling and structure, bear strong affinity to
the Scottish language. Indeed, the greater part of them
wtQ be found to be in current use in each country. Even
laying out of view the opinion expressed by some writers,
that the Scotti^ language is merely a dialect of the
Anglo-Saxon, the similarity of words and phrases used
both in the North of England and the South of Scotland,
may be accounted for by the county of Northumberland,
aiid other parts of the English territory, having anciently
fermed a portion of the sister kingdom. But it is to be ob-
scnrved, that a number of the words in this Glossary, which
are mtknown to the South, are in common use in the
North of Scotland. It is true that the greater part of
tiiese may be traeed to the French ; but henoe the words
used in Scotland may often be expbuned and elucidated by
r^rence to those oi the North of England, and vieeversm.

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m PRBFAC».

By a conamimicatiOB f)>om George R^ Kiiflochy Es^ oi
Edinburgh^ the Author has been fumiBhed with an exten-
MTe list of our North Country words which are in, use in
Scotland^ some of which have escaped the vigilance of
Dr. Jamieson> diough Mr. Kinloch says they are well
known as Scottish words. .In some instances where they
differ in spelling, or have a wider signification, in Scotland,
the Author has either given the Scots orthoepy^ or the ad-
dition^ meaning.

To James Losfa, Esq., Major Thain, George Taylor,
Esq., Anthony Easterfoy, Esq., Rev. William Turner, Rev.
James Raine, Rev. George Newby, Mr. Edward Hemdey,
Mr. Robert Thompson, and those other friends who have
contributed so much to the interest of the work, by allow-
mg the Author tlie unrestrained use of their interleaved
copies of the fcMmer editicm, he returns his grateful thanks*

For the invaluable and kind assistance afforded him by
his antiquarian ^ends, Robert Surtees, Esq.of Mainsfbrth,
and Sir Cuthbert Sharp ; and by the Rev. W. N. Dart
ndl, B. D., Prebendary of Durham, Matthew Culley,
Esq., of Fowberry Tower, 1. 1. Wilkinson, Esq., Rev. H.
C^tes, R. R. Greenwell, Esq., and Thomas Fenwick, Esq^
in the unreserved communication of various manuscryt
vocabularies of provincial terms, collected in different
parts of the Northern Counties, his warmest acknowledg-
ments are due, and he feels sincere pleasure in th«s pirib-
liely recor^g his sense of the obligation.

With these aids, and with the assistance and encourage-

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PRBPACE. Jz

mex^ he lam received^ during his uiuiertakiiig, firom
diferent eminent individuals^ which it would have the
iq>pearance of personal vanity in the Audior to particula-
rize> he has endeavoured to the best of his a^ilitj, and
inaking the most of the time which he could allow him-
self firom other avocations, to re-constnict, and, as he
hopes, materially to improve, the Glossary of North Coun-
try Words,

Of the instances of misconception and inadvertence,
which may still remam, those, who are most conversant
with the subject, will, in its various and complicated nap
ture, discover the best extenuation.

ABdan Placey IQA Mardk^ 1829.

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CONTRACTIONS

USED IN THIS GLOSSARY.

LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS.

Br. Ancient British language.

Celt. Celtic Unguage.

Cumb. Cumberland dialect

Dan Danish language.

Dur. Durham dialect.

Dut. Dutch languages

Fr. French language*

Gael Gaelic language.

Germ German language.

Gr. Greek language.

Ir. Irish language.

IsL Islandic (or Icelandic) language.

Ital Italian language.

Lane Lancashire dialect.

Lat. Latin language.

Moe.-Got. Mceso-Gothic language.

Newc Newcastle dialect. '

North Northumberland dialect.

Sax Anglo-Saxon language.

Sc Scottish language.

Span Spanish language.

Su.-Got. Suio-Gothic, or ancient language of Sweden.

Sw.— Swed. Modern Swedish lang^ge.

Teut. Teutonic language.

West Westmorland dialect.

Toric Yorkdiure dialect.

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CONTRACTIONS.

AUTHORS AND WQBKS.

Boucher Glossary of Obsolete and Proyincial Woids, 4to.

London, 1807.

Crmv. Gloss. Hone Momenta Cnveme, or the Craven Dia-
lect exemplified, 12mo» Lond. 1824.
' 2d. edit Dialect of Crayen, with a copious Glos-
sary, 2 vols. 8vo. Lond. 1828.

Du Cange. Glossarium ad Scriptores Mediie et InflmK La-

tinitatis, 6 torn. fol. Paris, 17S8.

Gael. Diet. Dictionarium Scoto-Celticum : a Dictionary of

the Gaelic Language, compiled and published
under the direction of the Highland Society of
ScoUand, 2 vols. 4to. Edinb. 1828.

Orose. Provincial Glossary, with a Collection of Local

Proverbs, 8vo. Lond. 1787.

Groae ^... Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 8vo.

Lond. 1785.

Ihre Glossarium Suio-Gothicum, 2 torn. fol. Upsal.

1769.

Jam.— Jamieson. ... Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Lan-
guage, 2 vols. 4to. Edinb. 1808.

Jam. Supp. Supplement to the Etymological Dictionary of

the Scottish Language, 2 vols. Uo. Edinb.
1825.

Jennings. Observations on some of the Dialects in the

West of England, particularly Somersetshire :
with a Glossary, 12mo. Lond. 1825.

Jun.— Junius. Etymologicuro Anglicanum. Edid. Lye, fol.

Oxon. 1748.

Kilian Etymologicon Teutonicae LingusB, 2 tom. 4to.

Traj. Bat. 1777.

Le Rous Dictionnaire comique,8atyrique, critique, burles-
que, ]ibre,et proverbial, 2 tom. 8vo. Lion. 1752.

Lye Dictionarium Saxonico et Gothico-Latinum.

Edid. Manning, 2 tom. fol. Lond. 1772.

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Xii CONTRACnOBIB.

Moor. Suilblk Words and PhrMM, by Edward Moor,

F.R.S. F.A.S.,&c ISmo. Woodbridge,1888.
Narea.-Nare8' Glosi. A Glossary; or Collection of Words, Phrases

Names, and Allusions to Customs, Proverbs,

&c* 4tD. Lond. 1828*
PaL^grave. L'Esclaircissement de la Langue Fran9oise, foL

Black Lxtteb. The two first books printed

by Pynson, and the third (the most copious

part) by lohan Hawkins— the only work he

ever executed.
Prompt. Parr Promptorium Parvulorum si?e Qerioonun, fol.

Pjrnson, 1499.
Ray. Collection of English Woids, ISmo. Lond.

1691.
Roquefort Glossaire de la Langue Romane, 2 tom. 8to.

Paris, 1806. Supplement, 8to. 180a
Skin.— Skinner. Etymologicon Linguae AaglicimaB, foI. Lond*

1671.
Somner. ...... ...».••• Dictionarium Sazonico-I/atino-An^cum, fol.

Oxon. 1659.

Spelman. .«... Glossarium Archaiologicum, fol. Lond. 1687.

Thomson, Etymons of English Words, 4to. Edinb. 1896*

Todd*s JohD."-Todd*s Johnson. Dictionary of the English Language

by Samuel Johnson, L.L.D. Edited by the

Rev. H. I. Todd, M. A., F.S. A., 4 vols. 4to.

Lond. 1818— Sd. edit. 3 vols. 4to. Lond. 18f7.
Tooke Diversions of Purley, 2 vols. 4to. Lond. 1798

and 1805.
Wachter. Glossarium Germanicum, 2 tom. fol. Ups.

17S7.
Watson Vocabulary of uncommon Words used in Hali^

fax Parish.
Wilb.— Wilbraham. An Attempt at a Glossary of some Words used

in Cheshire. From the Archaeologia, VoL

XIX. With considenble Additions, 8vo.

I^ond. 1820. 2d. edit. Lond. 1826.
Willan A List of Ancient Words at present used in the

Mountainous Districts of the West Riding of

Torkshire. Archaologia, Vol. XVIL

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^lofiBsat^

OP

NORTH COUNTRY WORDS

IN USE.

A,

A* It 18 8 Striking provincial peculiarity^ in many parts of the
North of England, tenaciously to retain this letter in most
of the words in which modem English substitutes o/ as awn,
own; bane, bone; kame, home; &c.; and to omit the two
last letters in those ending inU; as a* fawj for all; co*
fcawj for call ; &c. But at Hexham, and a district round
it, the a, instead of usurping the place <^ o, as is common in
most other parts of Northumberland, is itself converted into
o, in the vulgar pronundation; as o, for all; bo, for bell;
fote, for fault; hofe, for half, &c. ^ Hexham ho-fennt^^ is a
bye-word of long standing; and ** Hexham, the heart of o
England!* may be said to be proverbid.

A, always, ever. — Cwmb. A, in the Saxon language, is the ad-

. verb here ^en« Perhaps from the same root the Germans
have their ew^, and its dependents. In the formation of

t our border dialects it has been freely denizened. ** For ever
and 0," KB an expression used by old rustics. Philologers and
grammarians will decide how far^ in this sense, pleonasm of
continuous action, the a is an adverbial prefix to our participles
agoing, acoming; &c.

A, interrogative— a ? what? what do you say?

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2 AAC

Aac, Aik, Yak, Ybck, or Yaik, the oak. Sax. ae^ tec. Sa^
Got. ek. Germ, eiche. Dut. and Isl. eik, Sc. oft. The
words aik and acorn, observes Mr. Boucher, fall under tihat
numerous list of northern terms which difier from the onn-
mon speech of England, only by having. retained that strong
characteristical mark of their Saxon origin, the a in the place
of the modem o, and would not have been adverted to here,
had there not been something peculiar in their prcnaunciation,
in which alone their provincialism consists. The former is
pronounced yeck or yaik, just as earth is pronounced yortfa ;
whilst acorn is every where pronounced nearly as it is sq;)elled.
By having thus retained the orthography as well as the or-
thoepy of aiky the people of the North have avoided that in-
consistency, which certainly is imputable to their Southern
neighbours, of rejecting the ancient and original spelling, in
the theme, whilst yet it is retained in the derivative : for, to be
consistent, oerorn should be written ocont. Both these terms
are pure Saxon, ac and ipcem ; the latter importing as lite-
rally in the Saxon, as it does in English, the fruit or com of
the uk.

Aback, backwards. Isl. a-hak. Not obsolete, as stated iii
Todd's Johnson.

Aback a behint, behind, or in the rear. " Ahack a heJnnt,
where the grey mare foaled the fiddler;'* that is, I am told,
threw Mm off in the dirt.

Abuns, perhaps, possibly. Mr. Boucher justly considers this
word a remarkable confirmation of an ingenious grammatical
position, first strenuously urged by Gebelin, and, since, well
supported and confirmed by Mr. Home Tooke, viz. that par-
ticles were originally verbs. He takes abHns to be the parti •
ciple of the present tense of the irregular verb, ** to be aUe;^
and as such, easily rescJvaUe into the being able,

Aboon, Abuin^ above. Sax. abufan. Mr. Todd says, aboon is
*< common in Westmoreland and part of Yorkshire." It is
also in constant use in the counties of Durham and Northum-
berland. V. Junius and Boucher.

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ADDE 3

Abslaw^ to rise on the stomadi with a degree of nausea ; applied
to articles of diet, which prove disagreeable to the taste, or dif-
. ficult of digestion. See l^um.
Abbedb, in breadth, spread oat. Sax. abred'OHy to lengthen.
Abstract, to take away by stealth.— -uffordSer^ of North. In the
dissertation on Fairies, in the Border Mhistrelsy, a curious
• instance of superstition is related, where the corpse of a de-
ceased person, dug up from the grave, is said to be abstracted.
. So in Law, abitractum of tithe is the unjustifiable removal of

it.
AcciDAVY, an inveterate corruption of affidavit. Sometimes
simply davy.

We think nowse on% aw*ll myek aeeydaop.

Cimny NewaumL

Accident, a soft term used to denote the situation of a confid-
ing girl, when an undue advantage has been taken of her by a
faithless swain, without affording her a legitimate ri^t to his
protection,—
• When lovely woman stoops to folly.

And finds too late that men betray.

Acksrsprit, the premature sprouting of a potatoe, the germi-
nation of grain* V. Skin. Jam. and Wilb.

AcKNOW, to acknowledge, to confess. The old form of the
word - still in use as a nortiiem provincialism.

Acow, crooked, obliquely, awry. Sax. tucwnan, devitare.

AcRK-DALE Lands, common fields in which diflferent proprietors
hold portions of greater or less quantities; fi'om acre, a word
common to almost every language, and Sax. dtelany to divide.
In ancient times an acre did not signify any determinate
quantity of land; and the Normans had an acre confessedly
difiering from that of the Saxons. When at length it came to
mean a specific part, the measure still varied, until it was
fixed by statute, in the reign of King Edward I.

Adder-stone, a perforated stone, imagined by the vulgar to be
made by the sting of an adder. Stones of this kind are sus-
pended in stables as a charm to secure the horses frcmi being

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4 ADDI

hag-ridden ; and are also hung up at the bed's head, to pre^
▼ent the nightmare. See Holy-otonbs.

Addiwissen, had I known it. An expresnon nearly obsoleCe,
though still retained by some old persons. It appears, says
Mr. Boucher, to have been formed on that pocH* excuse, to
which silly people are apt to have recourse, when, for want of
consideration and caution, they have &Uen Into some difficuU
ty : had I wist, or had I wissen (and in the pronundation it is
as one word, addiwiuen)y I would not have done so and so.
The phrase is of great antiquity, occurring in Gascoigne's Her-
mit's Tale, in Gower, and in Holinshed.

Addle, Aidle, Eddlb, t;. to earn by labour. — Addlings, Aid-
UNGs, t. labourer's wages, earnings. Sax. edlean, recompense,
or requital Diflbrent both in import and source from —

Addled, a. decayed, impaired, rotten ; as, ** addle headed,"
** addled egg^;^* from Sax. adHan, ieegrotare-^-ndlfilg, a^grotus,
morbo laborans.

Ae, £a, one, one of several, each. Aewaas, Eawats, aiufayt.

Ae lad frae out bebw the ha*

Ees Meggie wi* a glance.-^i2oo(2 FcAr.

ArEAR*i>, afraid. Pure Saxon. This word is repeatedly used
by Shakspeare, in several of his plajrs, but I do not remem-
ber that afraid occurs more than once.

Aforn, before, on hand. Sax. ai^oran. Afore^ die andioit
word for before^ is also in use.

Aft, behind. Pure Saxon The dictionaries call this a sea
term, but it is in common use on the banks of the Tyne, and
occasionally in other places, in the sense here given, without
any relation to nautical subjects.

Ag, to hack or cut with a stroke ; hence an axe.

Agate, on the way, agoing-— on foot again; as a person recovered
from a sick bed. ** The fire bums agate^* that is, is beginmng
to bum briskly. — York, where it always denotes inci[nent
rapidity.

Agean, Aoen, again, against. Sax. agen; and so used in old
English.

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AIRD 5

Aqee, Ajbe, Aoys, awry, uneven, adde. ** Let ne'er a new
whim ding thy fancy t^ec^^^A. Banuay, Across; as "it
went all ogee**

Agi£B) or AoLEY, wrong, awry. As poor Bums truly said.

The best laid schemes cornice and men
Gang aft a~g!ey.

Agog, eager, desirous. ^ He's quite agog for it." Great re-
search has been expended, and much has been written on the
etymology of this word. It is straijge that all our philolo^ts
have marked it as uncertain ; as it may, I think, be satisfiic-
torily derived from Ital. agognare, to wish, to long for. Since
this was written, I have been informed by a valued corres-
pondent in Edinburgh, who has most kindly and liberally
aided -me in my etymological enquiries, that there is a Rox-
burghshire saying " on the gogs for it," synonymous with
" quite agog for it" — ^meaning " he is in the humour for it,"
or, *' is eagar for it." This expression, he is of opinion, is
derived from, and, indeed, is a pure translation of the French
phrase ** etre daru set gogues** which Boyer gives as synony-
mous with ** dans sa bonne humeur," to be in a merry mood,
pin, cue, or humour. V. Boyer, vo. gogues ; which is derived
from the reciprocal verb " se goguer (se rejouir) to be or make
merry." It is scarcely necessary to remark, that both the
French verb and phrase are only used in a comical or burlesque
style ; which is the very character of agog.

Ahint, behind. ** To ride akint.** Sax. a^hindany post.

AiG, sourness. *' The milk has got an aig**

Aigrb, sour. Fr. aigre. Hence Alb-aiore, which see.

AiN, pron. the northern pronunciation of own ; being, as it were,
a compound of a^une, i. e. aU belon^g to one, in contradis-
tinction to that which is the property of many. V. Boucher.

AntD. This word, as applied to the name of a place, means
fa]^; MJirdley in. Hexhamshire. Br. aird, height- GaeK
and fr. ard, mighty, great, and noble. It is also used to de-
scribe the quality of a place or fidd ; in which sense it means
dry, parched; from Lat. aru^ia^henqe arid.

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6 AIRL

AiBLY, the northern form of early ; conformable to Dan. aarU^

AiRT, or Art, a point or part of the horizon or compass ; a dis-
tricty or portion of the country. Germ, ort, a place — die mer
orte, the four quarters. Gael, aird^ a carduial point. In
Yorkshire the pronunciation is airth,

AiRTH, afraid, fearful. " He was airth to do it" — he was afraid.
•* An airthful night"— a fearful night. Sax. yrhth, fear.

AiTH, an oath. The same in Moes-Got. and Sc.

AiTHER, order, or course of husbandry in tillage land. Mr.
Boucher, whose learning and memory I much respect, is un*
fortunate in his conjecture On this word. See Arder.

Aits, Yaits, Yetts, oats. Sax. ata, ate. The sound expressed
by 1/aUSf as has been justly observed to me by a literary friend,
is in fact the proper diphthongal sound of oats — the a being
long : — and a broad Yorkshireman talks of the beasts getting
oorang {wrang — ^for i& is a vowel in effect) amang the wheate.

AixES, Axes, a fit or paroxysm of an ague — an access. Used
by several of our old writers. The word appears to be deriv-
ed from Sax. ace, the ori^n of ache, a pain ; which, in the
plural, Shakspeare has evidently pronounced, like John
Kemble, aitches. Our attld trott, or old wives, have innu-
merable prescriptions for the ague ; all of them, more or less,
depending on something which is to operate as a charm. The
opinion of the efficacy of charms in the cure of this disease is
at least as old as the time of Pliny.

Alane, alone. Dut. edleen, Dan. allene.

Alantem, Alantum, at a distance. Ital. da lontano. Fr. ^tn-
tain,

Ald, old. Sax. eedeU This syllable, in the beginning of the
names of places, denotes antiqiuty.

AuB, a merry meedng, a rural feast. Bride-o/^, and church-o/e,
are of firequent occurrences in old l^al documents.

AuB-AiGRE, alegar, sour ale used as vinegar. Allekar. — We^t.

Alb-taster, an officer still retained in some of the northern

• boroughs. His duty is to look diligently after die ** brewers
and tiplers,*^ and to tatte the aie within his jurisdiction. A

Digitized by VjOOQIC

ALL.H 7

person of this description was formerly i^pointed and sworn
in every court leet. '

Algates, an old word synonymous with always, or all manner
of ways ; and compounded of all and gates (which in the
North denotes way$). Not obsolete, as stated in Todd's
Johnson. It is used for, however, or at all events, sometimes —
as voLitTUi, y. quotations in Tooke (Vol. L, p. 17^,) who
strangely mistakes the derivation. In the Glossary to Way's
Fabliaux, it is attempted to be traced thus: — Aloates;
Alguise ; Alwise, altoayt: that is, let the g^iie or manner be
what it may. AlgaHs occurs in WidiTs venerable Transla-
tion of the New Testament, Ilom. xi. 10.

Aui^A-BiTs, broken, all in pieces, in rags and tatters.

Ali^alon6-of, Aix-along-on (sometimes, by quick articulation^
pronounced Aw-lung) entirely owing to. This term would
almost seem to be a corrupt pronunciation of all owing* It
is, however, of considerable antiquity in our language; being
used by Skelton, Ben Jonson, and others; and may be re-
ferred to Sax. ge-langy opera, causa, impulsu, culpa, cujus-
vis. y. Lye. An ingenious friend suggests, aU ^longing of;
to ^hngy he says, being used for, to belong; in some of our old
poets. V. Tooke Vol. I. p. 424-431.

Aller, the alder-tree. Mnui gluHnota. Smith. Sax. €Bler,
See Eller.

AixER-FLOAT, or Aller-troct, a species of trout — ^usually large
and well grown— frequenting the deep holes (^ our retired
and shady lnt>oks, under the roots of the aller, or aldep>tree;
from which it has its name.

.^XEY, the conclusion of a game at foot-ball, when the ball has
passed the boundary. — Dur, Fr. a Pait^^to the plank which
bounded the course, as at tennis*

AiXrHALLows, All Saint's day (1st. Noy.). " It is remarkable,
that, whilst the old Popish names, for the other fasts and fes-
tivals, such as Christmas, Candlemas, Lammas, &c. are gene-
rally retained throughout England, the northern counties
alone continue the use of the andent term for the festival of

Digitized by VjOOQIC

8 ' all:i

AU-SainU'' Boucher. In the name of churches, there is
however an exception. See Halle E'en.

All-in-the-Well» a juvenile game in Newcastle and the neigh-
bourhood; and perhaps in other places.

Always, however, nevertheless. Its use in this sense is com-
mon in the North ; and also in Scotland. See. Algates. .

Amang, among. Sax. mengan, to mix. But see Jamieson.

A-HANY, a great number, a mixed multitude. According to the
author of The Divertions of Purley^ many is the past partici-
ple of Sax. mengan, miscere, to mix, to mingle; and mani/ a is

- a corruption for many of, and therefore improperly used with
a singular.

AnBRY, or AuBfRT, a cupboard, pantry, or place where victuals
are kept. Sax. almerigey repositorium, scrinium, abucus.
Norman Fr. ambretfy a cupboard.

Amell, between or among, amidst. Ray says, ** contracted
from a middle; or perchance from the French word meder,
signifying to mingle;" but there seems littie doubt of its bang
directiy from the Swed. emeUa% or Dan. imeUemf the prepo-
sition for between.

Anan, what? what do you say? Commonly used as an answer
to questions not understood, or distinctiy heard. Perhaps
from a repetition of Fr. atn, noticed by Le Roux as, ^ Sorte
d'inteijection interrogative, commune aux petites gens, et fort
incivile parmi des personnes polies;" or it may be, as Mr.
Boucher suggests, merely a reduplicative of the Saxon or
Gothic particle an, which is defined to be ''graticula inteno-
gationibus praembsa."

Anchor, the chape of a buckle, t. e. the part by which it is fas-
tened. Fr. ancre. Lat. anchora.

Anclet, Ancleth, Ancliff, the ancle, a gaiter. Sax. andeow,

Anenst, over-against, towards, opposite to. A very old word
in our language; supported by tiie authority of Chaucer, Uf}-
linshed, and others ; and still in common use in the northern
counties.

Anent, concerning, respecting ; also over-against, opposite. V.
Jam. anens ; and Watson, anent.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

ARGY 9

Ak6, or AwNy the beard growing out of barlej, rye» or wheat.
This term seems to have been adopted from the Danes ro
Swedes, who got it from the Goths. V. Boacher, aumd.

Amg-nails, corns on the toea,~^Cumb, Kang-naiis, York.

Ai«TEBs, in case» lest, it may be. Dut andent. Y. Ray, own-

. iref, and Boucher,, anan^re^.

Amtbrs, needless scruples, mischances or misadventures.

Adttrims, a&cted airs or whims, freaks, fimdes, maggots.

Apiece, with the subject in the plural — ^pennies apiece; ones

• apiece.

Appbrn, Appben, a common mode of pronouncing apron, in
many of the northern counties. See Kappebn.

Appetize, V, to provoke an appetite fi>r food. Juliana Barnes,
whoj Warion says, wrote about 1480, uses appetydelyy as an
adverb, in the sense of with a good appetite. The passage
wherein it occurs is sufficiently curious, in more respects than
one, to be laid before the reader.

Aryse erly : serve God devowtly : and the world besily. Do
thi werke wisely t yeve thyn almesse secretly : goo by the
waye sadly. Ansuere the peple deinurely : goo to thy
meete appetydefy. Sytte therat dyscretly : of thy tonge be
not to lyberall : aryse therfrom temperately. Goo to thy
souper soberly : and to thy bed merely : be in thyne inne
jocondly. Please thy love duely ; and slepe surely.

APRII/-GOWK, an April fool. See Gowk.

Aran, or Arain, a spider.— ForAr. Lat. aranea. Fr. araignSe:
Span, arana. Ital. aragno^

Aran-web, or Abain-web, gossamer, a cobweb.

Abder, order, or course. In husbandry the orders are the divi-
sions of tillage land set apart for regular courses of crops in
successive years; or for courses of cropping in rotation.

Arf, Arfish, timid, fearful, apprehensive. " 'Am rather arfish

. about that." See Airth.

Argt, assertion in dispute. The term is generdly applied to a
person who b not only contentious, but pertinacious in ma-
naging an aigument. Isl. tar^r, keen. contention.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

10 ARK

Ark, a large chest for keeping com or meal. The original and
etymological sense of the word. In the will of Bernard Gil-
pin, 1582, the testator leaves to the ^ poore of Houghton
pishe. the greate new ark for come, standinge in the hall, to
provide them grotes in winter."

Arles, Arns, Alls, Earles, or Yearlbs (these variations being
undoubtedly in thdr origin one and the same word), money
given in confirmation of a bargain, or by wa}[ of earnest for
service to be performed. Gael, iarltu. Welsh, ernet, Mr.
Boucher seems to consider Arlet to be the last and almost
expiring remains, in our language, of a word of very remote
andquity, that was once in general use, which the Romans
abbreviated into array and which the Latins in the middle ages
changed into arrha. It denoted an eamest or pledge in gene-
ral, and was often used to signify an espousal pj^esent or gift
from the man to the woman on their entering into an engage-
ment to marry. This, as we leam from Pliny, was a ring of
iron, the ancient Romans being long prohibited from wearing
rings of any other metal. The giving of arlet for confirming a
bargain is still very common in all the northern coundes. It
is dso an old custom, seldom departed from, for the buyer
and seller to drink together on these occasions. Without it
the engagement would hardly be considered as valid.

Arnut, Awnut, a pig-nut, an earth-nut. Bumum BalbocoHa'
num. Sax. eard-nid. Dut. aarde-noot.

Arr, a mark or scar made by a wound, a cicatrice. Hence,
Pock-arrs, a common phrase in the North for the marks left
on the face by the small-pox. The word may be satisfactorily
derived from Dan. ar, a seam, scar, or mark of a wound; or
from Su.-Got. lerr, cicatrix. The term is also found in the
Islandic language — cer or or,

Arseward, perverse, obstinate. Sax. aewerd, perversus, aversus.

Arsey-warsey, Arsie-varsie, topsj^turvy — vice versa.

All things run arsie-varsie.— -^m Jonsoth

Ar¥el, a funeral.— Aryel-supfer, a funeral feast given to the
the friends of the deceased, at which a particular kind of loaf,

Digitized by VjOOQIC

ASSI 11

' called arvel-hreadf is sometimes distributed among the poor.
The practice of serving up collations at funerals appears to
have been borrowed from ^e poena feralu of the Romans, al-
luded to in Juvenal (Sat. V^, and in the laws of the twelve
tables. It consisted of an offering of milk, honey, wine, &c.
to the ghost of the departed. In the case of heroes, and
other illustrious men, the same custom seems to have prevail-
ed among the Greeks. With us, it was anciently a solemn
festival made at the time of publicly exposing the corpse, to
exculpate the heir, and those entitled to the effects, from fines
and mulcts, and firom all accusations of having used violence.
In conjecturing an etymology, the late Dr. Whitaker, after
stating that he had vainly sought in every etymologicon to
which he had access, refers (though he admits with very little
confidence) to the word arferial, in Kirchman de Funeribus
Romanorum, p. 554. V. Hist. Richmond. XL ^8. Surely
we ought to be satisfied, either with Welsh, arwylf funeral
obsequies; or Dan. art?W>/, a fimeral feast; firom artv, to hdr
or inherit.

Ask, Asker, Esk, a water newt, believed by many, but without
any foundation, to be venemous. Lacerta palustrit, Gael.

Ass, ashes. Iliis manner of pronouncing and using the word is
general in all the northern counties. . It has evidentiy been
adopted firom some of the northern languages:— Sax. atce,
Oenn. asche, Isl. aska. Dan. tuke. Dr. Johnson says, the
word wants the singular; but, as remarked by Mr. Todd, it is
common in the singular, in the north of England.

Ass-HOLE, a place for recdving ashes — an ash-hole.

Ass-HiDDEN, a heap of ashes, collected for manure.

Ass-RiDDUN, the riddling or sifiing of the ashes on the hearth,
on the eve of St. Mark. The superstitious notion is, that,

. should any of the family die within the year, the mark of the
shoe wiU be impressed on the ashes.

Assiii-TBm, an axle-tree. So invariably pronounced in the
North. Fr. atieul, Gael. aisU, Ital. assUe.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

1> ASS!

AssiL TooTtt, or AxLB Tooth, a grinder-^'-^ tooth skiuted under
liie (urS5 of the jaw. Isl. jaste^ dens molaris. Su^Got. axel-

■ toncf, a grinder. V. Ihre*

AsTiTE, AsTT, rather, as soon as, soon^ ; filendly tu ddt. Sax.
and Isl. Hd,

AsTONiED, astonished, in a consternation. An <Ad w<»d, not
yet obsolete. Y. Todd^s John. ait<me,

AtTERGOP, Attercob, a spider's web. Sax. atlery poison, and
coppcy a cup ; recdving its denomination, according to Dr.
Jamieson, partly from its form and partly from its diaracter-*-
a cup of venom, Attercop is also occadonally used to denote
the spider itself; which b curious, as bemg still unaltered
Saxon-- of ^r-cojD^. Hence a female of a virulent or malig-
nant disposidon is sometimes degraded with the appdlation
of an attercap.

A-TWEE, in two; as broken in two. Chaucer uses ataw; a
word still retmned in the north.

Atween, between, betwixt: Ancient, but not obsolete.

Aim, AuLD. the vulgar pronunciation of old. Sax. eaUU The
latter form of the word is used in the beautiful old aong of
^ Tak your atdd cloak about ye,** recovered by Bishop Percy,
and given in his Reliques of Ancient Poetry,

AuDFARANT, AuLD-FARANT, gravc, sagadous, ingooious. Child-
ren are said to be so when they arc wiser or more witty than
those of their age usually are; that is, fashionedy or formed
like an ddery or more experienced person. But. ervaren.
Dan. erfareny experienced.

AuD-LA^G-sYME, AuLD-LANG-sTNE, a favoufite phrase in the
North, by which old persons express their recollections of
former kindnesses and juvenile enjoyments in times long since
past — immortyized by the muse of Burns.

Aud-Peg, Auld-Peg, old milk cheese. See* Old-Peg.

AuD-THRiFT, Auld-thrift, wealth accumulated by the succes-
sive frugality of a long race of ancestors.

Auk, a stupid or clumsy person; From old €rot. auky a beast;

Digitized by VjOOQIC

AWMU la

or it majr be from the northen tea inrd, called the auk, of
proverbial stupidity.

AuM, the elm tree. Old "Fr. oulme. Alum is also, in some
places, pronounced aum. Br. aim» In northern pronunda-
tion, the letter / is frequently dispensed with, or discarded.

AuN'Dy ordained, &ted, destined. " Fm aufCd to this luck."

Aunts. " One of my aunts" is, in Newcastle, a common desig-
nation for a lady of more complaisance than virtue. ShaL-
speare and other play writers use the term.

Avp, a wayward child— an ape ; from Sax, apa,

Auter, altar. Many of our old aothors write this word auter,
or awler; winch is still the pronunciation in the North. Old
Fr. ottfer. The high altar — a term retained in Cumberland,
where it n pronounced as one w<»rd heeautre — was probably
so called to distinguish it from the Saint?8 altars, of which
land there were several in most churches.

AuwABos, awkward, athwart. A beast is said to be onuvardM^
when it lies backward or downhill, so as to be unable to rise.
Sheep, heavy in the wool, are often found so; in which case.
If not extricated, they soon swell and die. Sax. awerd^ per-
versns, aversus.

AvEB, a work-horse-*a beast of burden. V. Spdmaa, affrt,
affra; and Du Gange and Kennett, averid,

AvERisH> or Average, the stubble and grass left in com fields
after harvest— the winter, or qfter-eatage.

Aw, the common pronunciation of I. Aw's, I am.

Aw was up and down, aeekin fi>r tnaw hinny^
Aw was thro* the town, seekin far tnaw bairn.

Song, Maw Canny ffhmy,

Aw-MACKS, all maket^ all sorts or kinds. V. Boudier.

AwMus, the pronunciation of alnu m the North. Sax. ^dmette,
Dsm. akmsse. Indeed, in most of the cognate languages the
word is a dissyllable. Chaucer accordingly spells it alme$9e:
other old writers have it almotu.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

14 AWN

AwN» V. to acknowledge^ to own. Sax. agan, possidere. ^ You

never awn us now-aKlays."
Awn, Awne, a. own, proper. Sax. agen, proprius.

This house ! these grounds I this stock is al) mine awne.

Ben Jon, Sad Shepherd,

AwN-sELL, own*8elf. — ^Awn-sells, own-^elres.

AwsoME^ appalling, awful. ^ The Ughtning was awsome**

AxB, to ask. This, now vulgar, word is the original Saxon
form, and is used hy Chaucer, Bale, Heywood, and many

. othfr ancient writers. It does not, however, appear to have
obtained a footing in any of the cognate languages of the
North, which seems to show that whilst we formed our voca-
bulary from the Saxons, other northern nations drew from
Gothic sources,

Ayb, always, continually, for ever. An old word; said in
Todd's Johnson to be now rarely used, and only in poetry.

. For colloquial purposes, however, it is frequently made use of
in Northumberland ; and, so far as my recollection serves me,
in other parts of the North. My friend. Archdeacon Wrang-
ham, an el^ant classical scholar, refers me to Greek muortiu
for a derivation. There is certainly a striking analogy. See

ElOH.

Ayont, beyond. •* Far ai^ont the hill." Sax. a-geont.

A YOU A, HiNNY, A YOU A, HiNNY BuRD, a northern nurse's
lullaby. Brand has observed that an etymologist, with a to-
lerably inventive fancy, mi^t easily persuade himself that the
the song usually sung in dandling children in Sandgate, in the
suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne, the Wapping or Billings-
gate of that place, '* A you a, hinny," is nearly of a similar
sign^kation with the ancient Eastern mode of saluting kings,
** Live for ever." V. Pop. Antiq. Vol. I. p. 377- The song
here referred to will be found in Bell's Rhymes of Northern
Bards, p. i^

Digitized by VjOOQIC

BACK 15

B.

Babblement, silly discourse. Probably from Fr. baiiller. In the
first edition of this work I admitted the derivation given in the
Craven Glossary, and supported by other authority — ** Heb:
Babel, confusion of tongues" — ^which a correspondent (with
whose criticisms in general I am not disposed ta quarrel)
deems worthy of Parkhurst. To be free from misconception
and error is not the attribute of infallible men.

Babby-Boodies, broken pieces of earthen ware or glass, used by
female children for decorating a play-house, called a boodi^
house, made in imitation of an ornamented calnnet.

Then on he went, as nice as owse,

Till nenst au*d Lizzy Moody's ;
A whirlwind cam an* myed a* souse

like heaps o* hobby. hoodies.

Song, Jemmy JonesmCs Wivurry,

Bachsijor's Button, a well-known flower, resembling a buttoif
— supposed to possess a magical effect on the fortunes of rus-
tic lovers. See Grey's Shak. V. I., p. 107.

Back-by, behind, a little way distant. Bey (Grerm.) is near:—
hence in-by, out-by, back-by.

Backebly, late; as a backerly spring; a backerly harvest.

Back-cast, the failure in an effort, a relapse into trouble.

Back-end, the autumnal part of the year, — ^tbe latter end of any
given time.

Backhouse, (pronounced exactly Bacchus^ a bakehouse. Sax.
bcRchiu.

Backside, any ground on the back part of a house — not confined
to the court or area behind. It has the same signification in
Scotland. V. Jam. Supp.

Nichoks Ward, unfortunately smoorM to death, in sinking for
a draw weU in his father's haxktid^, 10 Feb. 1716.

Shioarf, Chronkon MifuhUe,

Digitized by VjOOQIC

16 BACK

Backstonb, a heated stone for baking upon — a bakestone. Stones
were first used for. the purpose, and are still in use for oat-
cakes.

As nimble as a cat on a hot hackHane^^^VorksfUre Proverb,

Badger, a cadger or pedlar; but originally a person who pur-
chased grain at one market, and took it on horseback to sell
at another. Lat. bajuhu^ a carrier. Before the roads in the
North were passable for waggons and carts, this trade of bad-
gering was very extensive. Badger, I understand, is a com-
mon name in Lancashire for an ordinary shop-flour and butter
dealer.

Badly, sick, ill — Sadly badly, very much indisposed.— Bad-
ling, a worthless person — a bad one. Sax. baedling, homo
deUcatus.

Bag, the udder of a cow. Isl. baggi, onus, sarcina.

Bail, bale, a signal of alarm, a bon-fire.— Bail-hills, or Bale-
bills, hillocks on the moors where fires have formerly been.
Isl. baly pyra. See Crav. Gloss. BaaUulU,

Bain, near, ready, easy. Isl. beirniy rectus. Germ, bahn^ a path,
a beaflien way.-?— Bainer way, a nearer way.

Bairn, a child. Sax. beam, Mcc-Got. bam. It is the same
in the Islandic and Danish languages. The word is written
by old English writers beam^ beame. In All's Well, in the
dialogue between the Countess and the Clown, it is observed,
that ^' beame are blessings;" and in the Wintet^s Tale, when
the shepherd finds Perdita, he exclaims, ** mercy on's, a
beame/ a very pretty beamed* Among the vulgar«-espe-

> cially the pitmen — bairn is applied to % female child only.
By the fiivour of a friend I am enabled to presaat the reader
with the following illustration of this confined meaning of the
word, firom thdr own phraseology. ^ Assa ! wor wife's getten
her bed, mun."— ** No ! — ist a /bs^ or a baim, then ?*' ** Wey
guess."— ." Mebbies a itfim P"— « No." "Mebbies a lad,
then ?" " Odd smash thou's a witch, or smndiody's telt th'."
In Shakapeare's time, it would seem that a cMd signified a

Digitized by VjOOQIC

BANG 17

9Lfemaley in contradiitinctioii to a male infiint; though it i^-
pears from Warton that it was once just the reverse.

A boy, or jehUd, I wonder. — Winter^t Tale,

Bairnish, silly, chilctish, having the manners of a child.

Bairnless, childless, without progeny. Sax. heamteat.

Bairns'-play, the spwt of children, any sort of trifling.

Bairn-team, a large family, a brood of diildren, or laU of
biairtu. Sax. beam-team, liberorum sobolis procreatio.

Baist, to beat severely. Isl. beysta, to strike. Swed. ba$a, to
beat. In Scotland they use this word in the sense of to over-
come; particularly at cards, where one has lost considerably.
It is also used as a substantive — one idio is overcome.

Baith, Beath, B'yeth, both. . V. Jam. bathe.

BAUJkNT, a ballad. This is the general pronunciation among
the vulgar, in the North of England, as well as throughout
Scotland.

Ball-mobist, money demanded of a marriage companjr, and
given to prevent their being maltreated. In the North it is
customary for a party to attend at the church gates, after a
wedding, to enforce this claim. The pSt has recehred this
denomination, as being originally designed for the purchase of
a footpball.

Ba! loc! a nurse's lullaby. Thought by some to be a cor-
ruption of the French nurse's threat in the fable : He bat I Id
le loupJ hudi i there's the wolf; an etymology not less &n-
dful tiian ingenious. In Scotiand it is balow; as in Lady
Bothwell's Lament.

Bane, (" North. J-— B'y ah fNewcJ, a bone. Sax. ban. Teut.
bein.

Ban-firb, Bon-firb, a fire kindled on the heights at appointed
places in times of rejoicing. Notwithstanding what Mr. Todd
has alleged as to the primitive meaning of the word, I remain
of opinion that bone-&ce is a corruption. See Bail.

Bang, v, to thump, to handle roughly. Su.-Got. and Isl.
banga, Tait. bangelen, A friend considers this word not

Digitized by VjOOQIC

W 3A!rO

local; but sur^y "Bang her amang her een*'— hit her
between the eyes, is a Xs^is not to be understood by uniniti-
ated South country ears.
Bang, v. to beat, to exceed, to surpass, to exceL
Hamham was headless, Bradford breadlessy

Shaftoe picked at the craw ;
Capheaton was a wee bonny place.
But Wallington hm^t them a'. — yorthumb, BaOad.

Bang, $, a leap, a severe blow. In a bang, suddenly, vic^ently.

Banger, any thing larger in proportion to the rest of its species*
v. Todd's John, banging.

Bankrout, a vulgar name for a bankrupt ; and, jud^g by the
etymology, the right word. Fr. banquenmt. Ital. bancoroUo.
Teut. hanckrote. According to the compilers of the Diction*
naire de Trevoux, the term originally came from the Italians,
who formerly transacted their business in a public place, and
had cofib^ in which they counted their money. When a mer-
chant found his affidrs in disorder, and returned not to this
place of business, it was said that his bancoy or colQfer, was
roUoy broken.

Bannock, a thick cake of oaten or barley mfcal, kneaded with
water; originally baked in the embers, and toasted over again
on a girdle when used. Gael, bonnack, a cake. Irish, bom-
neog. Some, however, think that it may be from Isl. bauny
a bean ; such cakes having formerly been made of bean meal.

Bant, B'yant, bony, having large bones. Sc. bainie.

Bar, v. to shut, to close. " Bar the door" — shut the door.
^ Bar the yet"— close the gate. — Bar, i. the gate of a town.

Bargh, Bbrg, a hill, or steep way. Su.>Got berg, mons* V..
Ihre.

Bar-guest, a local spirit or demon ; represented as haunting
populous places, and accustomed to howl dreadfully at mid*
night, before any dire calamity. Perhaps from Dut. berg, a
hill, and geest, a ghost. Grose, however, describes it as ^a
ghost all in white, with large saucer eyes, commonly appear*^
ing near gates or atiles, there called bars»~-ybrJfcs4. Derived

Digitized by VjOOQIC

BAST Ift

from bar and ^dst.*' But see Brokers Eboracum, p. 7> Ap-
pentfix; where it is supposed to come from Sax. burh, a town»
and gast, a ghost-— signifying a town sprite.

Baiue, a box for holding candles ; formerly made of bark, and

• sometimes so still.

Bark, v, to cough. — Bark, <. a cough. ^ What a bark he's
got.

Barge-DAT, Ascension day ; when the Mayor of Newcastle and
the Biver Jury ^take an aquatic perambulation in barges, ac«
cording to ancient custom.

Barked, Barkened, Barcled, covered with dirt, clotted, hard-
ened. Isl. barkOf cutem induere.

Barker, a tanner— so denominated from bark, the great article
used in lijs trade. The word is pure Danish. ** The com-
pany o£ Barkers** — Newc,

Bar^aah, a draught-horse's collar; formerly made of bark.

Basinet-Castle, the old, and still the vulgar, name of Barnard-
CaBtie.-'DMr. ^ Bametf-XJattie gingerbread/' the best in
woiid.

The rebeUs have gevyn over the sege of Bamey-Castie.

Sadler^t State Papers^ 1669.

Barlet, to bespeak or daim. ** Barley me that" — I bespeak
that — ^let me have that. Quasi, in corrupt contraction, ** by
your leave me that." But see Wilb. vo. ballow.

Barrel-fever, an illness occasioned by intemperate drinking—
the frequent effect of a too copious sacrifice to the j(^y god.

Baseler, a person who takes care of neat cattle. — North*

Bass, Bast, matting. Isl. bast, philyra. Bass, is also the name
of a hassock to kneel upon at church* Likewise, in Yorii-
shire, the slaty part of coal after ijt is burnt white.

B&STE, to put a tar mark upon sheep. It is done with a tarred
stick; and may therefore be derived from old Fr. basferi, a
stidc. It is a variation of Buist, Beust, or Bust ; whiich see.

Bastilb, a fortified building; similar to a Peel; which see.
BasiiUus, in the sense of a tower or bulwark, occurs in

Digitized by VjOOQIC

so BAT

Hearne's edition of Elmham in Vit. Hen. V. ; and bagteiU,
with the same meaning, is to be found in old French writers^
as is also hattUier^ to beaege. Hence the name of the noto-
rious Sastile of Paris — that tremendous fortress —

Full of such dark, deep, damp, chill dungeons of horror and
silence,

of which no reader requires to be reminded. The ruins of
many of these strong-holds are to be found in that extensive
tract of country in Northumberland, upon which once stood
the fiuned Forest of Rothbury ; and in most Border vUlagea
of antiquity.

Bat, a blow or stroke. Old Gothic, bata, to beat — Last-bat, a
play among children. See Tio.

Bat, state or condition. ^ At the same bat^* signifying in the
same manner ; ** at the aud bat,** as formerly. Bta also sig-
nifies speed ; as, ** to go at a gretU bat,* to go at great speed.

Batten, v. to feed, to bring up, to thrive. Sax. batan, to fiitten.
Swed. betOy to feed. '* The wife a good church going and a
battening to the bairn,* is a conunon toast at the gossip's feast
on the birth of a child.

Could you on this fiiir mountain leave to feed, and hattem on
this moor,^~Sh4ik. HamUL

Batten, or Battin, i. the straw of two sheaves folded together.
I have been referred to Germ, beythun, to join ; formed fix)m
bei/, double or both, and thun, to do or make. Sax. ba two,
both two, i. e. two together, seems analogous.

Batts, low flat grounds adjoining rivers, and sometimes islands
in rivers. V. Jam. Supp. ana,

Bauk, Balk, a cross beam or dormant. Germ. balk. Dut.
balde, a beam. " To be thrown ouri^ balk,** is, in the West
Riding of Yorkshire, to be published in the church. ^ To
hing ourt' balk," is marriage deferred after publication. V.
Crav. Gloss, balk. Before the Reformation, as observed by
the author of that amusing little work, the laity sat excluave-
ly in the nave of the church. The balk here appears to be the

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BEAS 21

rood be&m, which separated the nave from the chancel. The
expression, therefore, would seem to mean, to be helped into
the choir, where the marriage ceremony was performed.

Bauks, or Balks, the grass ridges dividing ploughed lands;
properly those in common fields. Also lengths of solid un-
broken land left by a bad ploughman. Isl. bandk^ut^ lira in
agro, vel alia soli eminenda minor. Bauks are not so common
as they used to be when land was ploughed by oxen.

Bauks, or Balks, a place above a cow-house, where the beams
are covered with wattles and turf, and not boarded— ^ hen-
roost, or hay-lofl. Mr. M^braham supposes the hay-loft is so
called, from its being divided into different compartments by
balks or beams. Btdk in the old* northern languages is a sqMi*
ration or division; and the word is used for capita, or chap
ters, in the titles of the ancient Swedish laws. V. Ihre, in
voce, balk,

Bawm, to dress, to adorn. — West. Mr. Wilbraham calls this a
good old word, quoting Nychodemus' Gospell, 4to. 153^;
and derives it from Su.-Got. boy boa, to prepare. Isl. bua, is
the same.

Baxter, an implement used for baking cakes upon; ccMomon in
old houses.

Bay, to bend. Sax. bygan, AVhence a bay window (Shak.
Twelfth Night) — also bay-ke, fresh ice, which is thin enough
to bend. Capt. Ross explains bay-ice, ** newly formed ice, of
the same colour as the water;" but the above is probably the
true origin.

Beaker, a large drinking vessel, usually of glass, a rummer or
tumbler-glass. In Scotland it is called a bicker, and made of
wood. Germ, becher, Dan. bager, a cup. The word is also
used figuratively to express any other laiige thing.

Beal, to roar. Sax. beUan. Teut. beUen, to bellow. Beal«
bellow, and bawl, all seem cognate.

Bbastlings, the milk of the cow for a short time after calving.
Sax. bysting. The pronunciation in Cumberland is blastings;
and in Scotland beistint.

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29 BEAS

BEA8TUNG-PUDDIN69 a pudding made of the first milk of a
cow — a favourite dish with many people. In Scotland they
boil this milk into a thick consistence, which is called beuten
cheese,

Beatment (vulgarly pronounced Beakhent), a measure of about
a quarter of a peck; much used in Newcastle. Mention
occurs of a beatment, and also of a rmlnei^i beatment, in an old
book of the Society of Coopers, 1670. It has been suggested
to me that beatment may be an abatement, a small quantity
g^ven in to abate the price; but T should rather incline to
think it more nearly allied to beetment, a supply, a ration.
See Beet.

Bear, four-rowed barley. Sax. ^rf. This used to be the only
species cultivated in Northumberland, though tt is now rarely
sown, except on crude soil.

Bearhstonb, a large stone mortar, or trough, made use of by our
ancestors in the North, to unhusk dieir bear or barley, as a
preparation for the pot, long before bariey-mills were invented.

Bbas, Beess, cows, cattle; but never, I think, applied to sheep.
Sc. bmn^ Obviously a corruption of betuU, In some parts
of Scotland, the horse, by way of eminence, is denominated the
becut; no other animal receiving that dedgnadon.

Beck, t>« to nod the head ; properly to courtesy by a female, aa
contradistinguished from bowing in the other sex. Isl. beiga.
Germ, beigen, to bow. Beck, $, a courtesy.

So sone as she knew who was her hostesse, after she had made
a leek to the rest of the women standing next to the doore,
she went to her and kissed her.

Sadkr*t State Papert, Vcl IL'p. 605.

Beck. A horse is said to beck when its legs are weak.

Beck, s, a mountain stream or small rivulet, a brook. Common
to all the northern dialects. Hickes (Gram. Franc. Theotis-
ca, p. 9^,) says, the word came from the Normans to the
French, and from the Danes to the Northern inhabitants of
England. See Burn.

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BELL S3

Bbcrikb, a sort of half oath — by Christ? See under Labber-

ING.

Beds, called also Scotch-hop, a gaiqe of ehildren; in which
they hop on one foot through different spaces chalked out,
called bfdi. V. Strutt's Sports and Pastimes, p. 286,

Bes-Bixe, a bee's nest, or hive, in a wild state. Tent. Ue^iock;
hie-bwfeky apiarium.

Beeu>, shelter, warmth ; hence Bebldino, a place of shelter for
cattle, or any covered habitation. Isl. boelcy domidlium.

Bebldy, warm, affi>rding shelter from cold. '* Beeldy flannei."

Beerness, the cellar or other place where the beer is k^ ; and
so mUkness for a dury, or milk-house.

Beet, to help or asast, to supply the gradual waste of any thing*
Isl. beiroy emendare. Dut. boeien, to mend. Sax. betan^ res-
taurare. To beet the fir e^ is to feed it with fuel. The word,
in this latter sense, is most applicable to straw, heath, fern,
furze, and especially to the husk of oats, when used for heat-
ing girdles on which oaten cakes are baked. Tent, boeien het
vier^ struere ignem.

Beet-need, resource, assistance in case of need. Applied, also, -
to the person affording it ; as a helper or assistant on particu-
lar occasions. See the preceding article.

BeBSEen, or Beesen, blind. Sax. biteriy csecus.

Beukely, probably. An old word, used by Bishop Hall.

Belive, anon, by and by, quickly, briskly, or immediately. It is
a word of great antiquity; as it occurs in a passage in the
Anglo-Normannic poem, printed in Hickes' Thesaurus, Vol. L
p. 224, It is also found in our elder poetry.

Beck, to belch. The old mode of writing the word. The
Saxon J*C was either hard or soft. V. H. Tooke, Vol. II.
p. 138. Hence sh or ch, and sk or k, are frequently converti-
Ue.

Beller, to cry aloud, to bellow. Sax. beUan. See Beal.

Belucon, one addicted to the pleasures of the tablc'^a belly^
god.

Bbllt-gowLAV^-theb, take your fiU, satisfy your appetite, — York,

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U BfiLL

BBtLY»WARK, the gripes or colick. Wark (which see) is inva-
riably used for ache.
Bene, a benuouy or blessiiig. Sax. bene, prayers. See Claf-

BENNT.

Bensel, to beat or bang. Teut. henghelen, caedere fustibus.

Bent, a long kind of grass, which grows in Northumberland,
near the sea, and is used for thatch. Dr. Willan has Bents,
high pastures or sHdving commons; hence, he says, bent-
grau, which, from the soil, is necessarily harsh and coarse*

Berry, to thrash com. Isl. beria, pidsare. Su.-Got. baeria,
has the same signification. ** Wull is berrying in the bam."
Berrier, a thrasher of com.

Berrt-pie, a gooseberry-pie. A rank provinciality.

Beseek, the present provincial pronunciation oibeieeoh. It is the
old and genuine form of the word, and so used by our early
poets.

Betterness, a, superior, eminent. ** A beHemeitls^d. of body."

Be-^rwATTLED, confounded, overpowered, stupified, in&tuated.

Beuk, Buke, the common pronunciation of book. M(£.-Got.
Su.-Qot. Isl. and Sax. boc. The Northern nations, no

- doubt, gave this name to a book, from the beech-tree, of which
it was first made, in the same manner as the Latins adopted
the designation liber ^ and the Greeks that of /3<Ca«(, from the
materials on which it wa9 customary for them respectively to
write.

Bevel, a violent push or stroke. V. Jamieson.

Bever, to tremble, to quake with fear. Sax. befiany trepidare.

Bibber, to tremble, to shake. There is a great similarity be-
tween this word and Alem. Franc. bibnUy tremere.

Bicker, i. a small wooden dish, or vessel, made of staves and
hoops like a tub. Germ, becher, a cup. Ital. bicchiere.

Bid, to invite to a wedding, feast, or fiineral ; especially to the
latter; in which case the invitation is called a 6i<2ii9ig^— pro-
bably from Sax. biddan, to pray— originally meaning, as Mr.
"^i^braham suggests, the ofiering of prayers for the soul of the
deceased. Two or four people, called bidden, are sent about

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BI8H 25

to inTite tbe friends to die funeral* and to distribute the
mourning.

BmPABLK, obe<fient, of a compliant temper ; as a biddable child,

BiDEy to stay or remain. Sax. Hdan, manere. ** Bide off, you
stob !" said a chaise-driver to a boy attempting to get on be-
hind; i. e. " remain where you are."

Big, to build. Sax. b^ggan^ sedificare. IsL btfgg^ Dan. bygge.
Swed. bygga. See Biggin. "

Bigg, a coarse kind of barley ; properly that yariety which has six
rows of grain on each ear, though often confounded with what
is called beaty or four-rowed barley. IsL bygg^ barley. Su.-
Got bing, Dan. byg* There is a street in Newcastle called
the ]ffigg-4Baiket

BiGGEN, to recover after l^ng-in. The gossips regularly wish
the £ady a good biggening. Is it to 5^ again f

Biggin, a building; properly a house lai^ger than a cottage, but
now generaDy used for a hut covered with mud or tur£ IsL
k^gingy stmctura. Swed. byggrnngy an edifice. The word
enters laigely into the composition of local names in ihe
North.

Bildbb, a wooden mallet, with a long handle, used in husbandry
'for breaking dods.' Hence, observes the audior of the Cra-
' ven Glossary, balderdash,, may with propriety be called dirt
spread by the bilder, alias bUderdoiher. This etymon is cer-
tainly as happy as that of Mr. Malone — ^the froth or foam
made by the barbers in dashing their balls backwards and for-
wards in hot water. See, howeyer. Blather.

BiNG, a provindalism for bin; as wine-^'f^; com-^ftg.

BiNKy a seat of stones, wood, or sods; especially one made
against the front of a house. Sax. bene. Dan. btenk, a bench,
or seat.

BnxK, the birch tree. Bettda alba. Sax. ^rc. Teat.berck.

BiSHOFBRiG, Of BiBHOPBiG, Bffihopric ; by which name the coun-
ty ofDurtiam is always called by way of eminence. It was
made a Palatinate soon after, if not anterior to, the Norman
Conqaestx^the ^shop exercinng within the county Jura

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^ BISH

r^go/ta as fujly as the king had in his palace: regtdempotestatem
in omnibus, as Bracton (who wrote in the rdgn of Henry IIL)
expresses it. Hence the maxim, Quicqtiid Bex habet extra
JEpucapu$ habet intra. But most of these princely honours
and privileges were divested ** at one fell swoop" by the act
of a monarch, to whom one is prevented, by respect for roy-
alty, from giving the epithet he deserves.

BishopVfoot. When any thing has been burnt to the pan in
boiling, or is spoiled in cooking, it is common to say, ** the
Bishop has set his foot in it." The author of the Craven
Glossary, under bishopped, says, ^* pottage burnt at the bottom
of the pan. * Bishop's.!' th' pot,' may it not be derived from
Bishop Burnet?" That is impossible; the saying haidng
been in use long before the Bishop was bom ! It occurs in
Tusser's "Points of Husbandry," a well known book ; and
also in Tyndale's " Obedyence of a Chrysten Man," printed in
15^8. The last writer, p. 109, says, ** when a thynge spead-
eth not well we borowe speach and say the bi^shope hath
blessed it, because that nothynge speadeth well that they
medyll withall. If the podech be burned to, or the meate
over rosted, we say the byshope has put hisfote in the potte,
or the byshope hath played the coke, because the byshopes
BURN who they lust and whosoever displeaseth them." This
allusion to the episcopal disposition to bum heretics, in a cer-
tain reign, presents a satisfactory explanation of the origin of
the phrase.

Bit, without the prepoffltion after it; as, a *^ bit bread," a " bit
bairn."

Bite, or Bioht, a bend or curve in a river — ^like an elbow*
Probably from Sax. bygan, flectere.

BiTTLE, v. to beat, especially hemp, or grain out of gleaning9*79r
Bittle, s. the mallet, or beetle, used for the purpose.

BizoN, a show or spectacle of disgrace. Sax. byseri, byvtt ^-'
emplum, exemplar. In unguarded moments, when the good
women in certain districts of Newcastle, glad of any opportu-
nity of giving free license to their privileged member, Indulge

Digitized by VjOOQIC

BLAC 27

in acts of temagahcy rivalling any' Billingsgate vocabulary, it
is common to fulminate the object of their resentment with a
** Holy Bizon;'*^ obvioOsly in allusion to the penitential act of
standing in a white sheet, which scandalous delinquents are
sometimes enjoined to perform in the church before the whole
congregation. ^

A fixed figure for the ]3and of scorn
To point his slow unmoving finger at.

In tliis sense the woi^ seems connected with Teut. btetinne.

BuK)K, a shame or scandal, any thing monstrous or excessive.

Wiv a* the syavaigin aw wanted a munch.

An* maw ^ropple was ready to gizen ;
80 aw wen^ tiv a yell-house, and there teuk a lunch,

But th^ ieck*ning, me saul ! wasaMson.

Song, Catmp NewcaueL

Bizz, to buzz ; conformable to its Teutonic origin, bixzen,
Black-a-t^d, dark in complexion — black vUaged,
Black-bo;)»^wowers, bramble-berries->the fruit of the Bubus

fructioosus. — I^orth, See Bumhel-kite.
BLACi^moNDAT, the first day of going to scoool after the vaca-
tion; so denominated, no doubt, from the Black-Mondiu^ re-
corded in our history ; for which see Stowe. The day follow-
ing is called Bloody Tuesday,
Black-neb^ a provincial name for the carrion crow, which is
thought to be more numerous in>the north of England, than
in any country in the world.
Black-pudpeN;^Black-puddino, a pudding made of blood, suet,
^c. stufibd into the intestines of a pig or sheep. I take notice
of the word because this savoury and piquant delicacy is a
standing dish among the common people in the North ; and it
affords me an opportunity of rescuing from oblivion, the pecu-
liar cries of the present Newcastle venders of tliis boudin or^
dinaire, — ^^ A nice black-ptidden, man !" "A nice het pttdden,
hinnie !" •• A nice/a^ pudden, maw jewel t"

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28 BLAK

Blake, yellow, or of a golden colour; ipokea of butter, cheese,
&c. Sax. blac, Dut. bleek, pale. Hence, tlie yellow bunt-
ing (emberiza cUrineUa) is, in some places, called a blake&ng.

Blake autaaau^-^Chatterton,

Blake, cold, exposed, bleak. ^ Blakelaw." — North.

Blaring, crying vehemently, roaring loud; applied to peevish
children and vulgar drunken noise ; as well as to the ** music
of calves." Ihit. blaaren.

Blash, to throw dirt; also to scatter, to plash ; as the '' water
bloihed all over** Germ. platzen.

Blashcanter, Blashment, any weak and diluting liquor.

Blashy, thin, poor; as blashy foeer, &c. It also means wet and
dirty. Dr. Jamieson has blath, a heavy fell of rain.

Blast, an explosion of foul air in a coal mine. In less philoso-
phic times, the fatal effects of fire-damp were attributed to the
dgency of subterraneous demons, the virunculi montani of the
Swedes and Grermans; one of whom, according to Geoi^e
Agricola, the great metallui]g^,-«-who seems to have been ab
reftiarkable for his credulity as his erudition — destroyed an
hundred men by the bkut of hit poisonous breath!

Blate, v. to bleat or bdlow. Sax. bketan, belare. Dryden
uses blatant, in the sense of, bellowing as a calf. So Spenser
calls detraction, the blatant beast. The puritanical Prynne, in
his Histrio'Mastiv, very unceremoniously stigmatizes the
Church music of the day — the ^ bleating of hrute beasts."

Blate, a. shy, bashful, timid. Su.-Grot. ^lode. ^ A toom
(empty) purse makes a blate merchant." — Scotch Proverb.

Blather, to talk a great deal of nonsense. ^ He blathers and
talks," is a common phrase where much is said to little pur-
pose. A persoti of this kind is, bt/ way of pre'-endnence, styl-
ed a blathering hash. One of my correspondents derives the
word firom blatant, used by Spenser and others ; another in-
geniously suggests that it may be '' from the noise of ao empti/
bladder;** but it manifestly appears to me to be from Teut.
bketeren, to talk foolishly; an etymology supported by

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BL£B »

Su.-Got.6£sdtfm,gainreyandSwed«iMhdi^tob«M Hence,
Blathbrdash, BMerdiuh, idle discoune, silly talk. See

BiLDBR.

Blaw, to blow, to Bound a hanu Sax. blatoan. Ritaon has
published the following Lamentation on the death of Sir
Robert de Nevill, Lord of Raby, in 1282; aUuding to an
ancient custom, of <^lering a stag at the high altar of Durham
Abbey on Holy-rood-day, accompanied with the wmding of
horns.

Wel-i-wa, sal ys homes Uaw,

Holy-rode this day ;
Nou es he dede, and lies law.

Was wont to Maw tham ay.

Blaw, to breathe thick and quick after violent exertion ; apf^ed
to man or beast. Mrs. Pf^e, on an accidental occasion, was
'' sweating and hlowingt and looking wildly."

Blaze, to take salmon by striking them with a three pronged
and barbed dart, called a Leister; which see. I have often
seen it practised in an evening, in the River Tees. In Cra-
ven, a torch was made of the dry bark of holly, besmeared
with pitch. The water was so transparent that the smallest
pebbles were visible at the bottom of the river. One man
carried the torch (when dark) either on foot or on horseback,
while another, advandng with him, struck thfe salmon on Ifae
red, or roed part, with the leister. V. Crar. Glos& bioaxmg^

Blea, Blee, bluish, pale, or lead colour. Germ, hletfj lead.
The word is sometimes used to denote a bad colour in lineq,
indicating the necessity of bleaching. It is also applied to the
discolouration of the skin by a blow or contusion. In this
latter sense it seems allied to Fr. bleu,

Blba-berry, Blay-berrt, the bilberry, or black whortle berry.
Isi. Uaber, vaccinium vulgare myrtillus.

Bleb, Blob, a drop of wi^er or bubble. Dut bcbbel. Swed.
Mfia, Also a blister, or rising oi the skin. Germ. Wtiwi, to
swell.

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30 BLEB

Blsb, or Blea» colour, complenon. An old word; from Sax.
bleo, color — not yet obsolete.

Bleed, to yield; applied to com ; which is said to '* Meed weil^**
when on thrashing it hiq;>pen8 to be very productiye. Fr.
bied.

Blendings, or Blendungs, a mixture of peas and beans. Swed.
blandfdng, a medley; from blanda, to mix.

Bun, to stop, to cease, to desist. Sax. blinnan, cessare, desi-
nere. The word, indeed, occurs in almost all the ancient
northern languages, althou^ variously formed. Y . Jam.

Blink, v, to smile, to look kindly, but with a modest eye; the
word bdng generally applied to females. Dan. bUnk, a glimpse.
—Blink, s, a smile, as well as a glanee.

Blinkabd, Blenkard, a person near sighted or almost blind.

Blirt, Blurt, to cry, to make a sudden indistinct or unpleasant
notse. '' What's diou blirtin* at, kd.**—- Burt, is also used,
both in the north of England and'm Scotland, when a candle
bums in the socket, and gtyea an unsteady light— a b&rting
light.

Bloacher, any large animal. I know not its e^rmology ; unless
it can be connected with bloat, in a sense used by Addison, —
" I cannot but be troubled to see so many well-shaped inno-
cent virgins bloated up, and waddling up and down like big-
bellied women."

Blob, a peculiar mode of fishing for eels.

Blonk, a blank.— Blonked, disappointed, defeated of expecta-
tion. From the verb blank, to damp ; used by Shakspeare.

But aw fimd maw sel hlonl^d when to Lunnen aw ggt*

The folks they a* luck'd wishy washy ;
For gowld ye may howk 'till ye*re blind as a bat,

For their streets axe like wors— brave and blashy !

Song, Canny NewcaueL

Bloust, or Blowst, wild, disordered, confused. Dr. Johnson

has blowzy, sun burnt, high coloured.
Blower, a fissure in the InrdLen strata of coal, from which a

feeder or current of inflaiomable air discharges, and owing to

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BOBB 51

the explofflon of which such heart-rending misfortunes have
occurred in so many of our collieries.

To give detailed accounts of the tremendous accidents, owing
to this cause, would be merely to multiply pictures of death
and human misery. The phenomena are always of the
same kind. The miners are either immediately destroyed
by the explosion, and thrown, with the horses and machi-
nety, through the shaft into the air, the mine becoming, as
it were, an enormous piece of artillery, from which they are
pnrjected ; or they are gradually suffocated, and undeigo a
more peinfrd death, from the carbonic add and azote remauu
ing in the mine after the inflammation of the fire damp ; or
what, thou^ it appears the mildest, is perhaps the most
aevere £ite, they are burnt or maimed, and often rendered
incapable of labour and of healthy eiy oyment for h&.

Sir H, Davy on the Safity Lamp^ p. 3, 4,

Blown^uilk, skimmed milk. I suppose from the custom of
blowing the cream off by the breath. It is also called hiue
milk^ Blaum-milk, my friend Mr. Kinloch informs me, is
used in Scotland to milk that is slightly soured by the an: —
winded.

Blubber^ ^ the part of a whale that contains the oil.'* Todd's
Johnson. But it is, in fact, the fat of whales.

Blue-snaw, the supposed result of some unexpected domestic
occurrence.

Blush, resemblance. He has a bliuh of his brother; that is, he
bears a resemblance to him.

Blustei£ation, the noise or blustering of a braggart.

Bob, to disappoint. A dry 5o& is an old term for a sneering
joke, or any secret stroke or sarcasm.

What, bobb'd of all sides ?

Beaum. ^ FleU Moruieur Thomat.

Bob, a bunch. Isl. 5o6&«, nodus. Fr. bube. ** Bob o* tibbona.**
BoBBEBOcs, Bobbersome, hearty, dated, in high spirits.
Bobbert^ or Bubbbry^ a quarrel> noise, uproar, or disturbance.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

3^ BOBB

BoBBTy smart, neat, tidy. ** The varry babby'^,**

Bode, a price, or sum bid— an offer at a sala Germ, bot, lici-
tatio et pretium oblatum ; which Wachter derives from bietetiy
offerre.

BoDwoRD, an ill-natured errand. An old word for an ominous
message. Su.-Grot and Isl, bodword, edictum, mandatum.

Boggle, Boggle-bo, a spectre or ghost, a nursery bug-bear. —
North, and Dur, Celtic, bwg, a goblin. Welsh, bogelu^ to
affright— &«g«4 fear. In We^t, and York, the word is bog-
gard, or BOGGART.

Boggle about the staekt^ a favourite pastime among young peo-
ple in the country villages, in which one hunts severai. others
between the stackt in a com yard. The diversion was former-
ly called barley break, or barley brake, and was onee an at-
tractive amusement for persons of both sexes ^ in life's rosy
prime.*'

At e*en, in the gloaming, nae younkers are roaming,
'Jt0u< ttadc9f with the lasaes at bogle to play.

FlofweriofiheForeH*

Boiling, the entire quantity, the whole party. A metaphor
from brewing; as batch is from baking.

BoKE, to belch. Sax. bealcan, Dut. boken. See Bowk.

BoLDON BuKE, BoLDON BooK, an ancient survey of all the lands
within the County Palatine of Durham, held in demesne, or
by tenants in villenage; taken in the year 1183 by order of
Bishop Hugh Pudsey. This ambitious prelate, styled by
Lamborde, ^ the joly Byshop of Durham," exercised all the
state of a sovereign in his own Palatmate, in which there were
many royal rights ; and probably it was in some degree in con-
sequence of these exclusive privileges, that, when the Con-
queror's Greneral Census, or Domesday Book, was made, the
Inshopric of Durham was not included; though the bishop's
property, as a tenant in capite, in other counties, is specifically
mentioned in that great national record. The Boldon Book»
therefore, forvis a valuable Sui^lement to Domesday ; and is

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BOND 3d

^ bf great importance to the See of Dorham, having been fre-
" gently appealed to and admitted as evidence, on the part of
succeeding Bishops, to ascertain their property and seigneurial
rights. Besides its value to the topographer, it is h^hly in-
teresting to the antiquary and historian. It tends greatly to
elacidate the English tenures, manners, and customs of the
twelfth century; and contains many words which are not to
be found in l)u Cange, or any of his continuators. This ve-
noable record probably derived its name from Boldon, a vil-
lage and parish near Sunderland, in the diocese of Durham,
where dUier it was compiled, or according to the census of
whose inhabitants other property within the Bishopric was
r^ulated.
BoLE-HiiXs, a provincial term for heaps of metallic scoria^

- which are often met with in the lead mine districts. They
are the remains of a very ancient mode of smelting lead. It
seems dear that the Saxons, as well as the Romans, worked
mines in di£^ent parts of our island, and frequently made use
of lead in works of ecclesiastical magnificence.

BoUi, Bole, the usual com measure in the north — ^in some
• places, two bushels; in others, six. It is common in Scot-
land, where it varies in quantity, in difierent sorts of grain;
but, I believe, utterly unknown in the south of England.

BoLL^ Bole, the body or trunk of a tree. Su.-Got. bol.

Bowman, a hobgoblin or kidnapper. V* Todd's John, bo,

BoNDAGEB, a cottager, or servant in husbandry, who has a house
for the year, at an under rent, and b entitled to the produce
of a certain quantity of potatoes. For these advantages he is
bound to work, or to find a substitute, when called on, at a fixed
rate of wages, lower than is usual in the country. In Nor-
thumberland much of this work is performed by the female
part of the family^ or by children. Swed. bonddrHngy a farm*
er's man, a young peasant. This bandage service, the expe-
diency of which economists have doubted, may be referred to
the vUlenage tenure of a more barbarous period. In the an-

- cient feudal ages, the land was generally cultivated by three sorts

Digitized by VjOOQIC

34 BONN

of persons— the maU allodial tenants, who, though CMig^naily
fireemen, and capable of cHsposing of their estates, sometimes
elected, for the sake of protection, to become the Taasals of

. their more powerful ndghboiffs-^-the mlleitu, who held on
condition of performing such servile works as the lord requir-
ed, or their tenure was burthened with — and the setfi, or
villeins regardatd, who were literally slaves attached to the

. soil, and, together with their wives and children, transferred
"with it by purchase. In cases of great povery and distress> it
seems that it was not uncommon for freemen in this country
to sell themselves as slaves. Thus, in 1069, Simeon of Dor-
ham relates that there was a dreadful fanune in England, par-
ticularly m Northumberland and the adjacent provinces, and
that some sold themselves into perpetual slavery, that they
might in some way sustain a miserable life. Many modes by
which a man, in a state of villenage, might acquire his freedom,
are enumerated by Glatmille, and in 7%e Mirror. Before
writing was much known, the enfranchisement was accom-
panied by great publicity and ceremony; but when it became
common, the act was done by deed. The Ibrm for the eman*
cipation of serfk b minutely described in the laws of the Con*
queror ; and various later grants and manumissions may be seen
in Madox's Formulare Anglicanum, p. 416, et seq. One of
these is remarkable — ^bdng an enfranchisement of two villeins
for the soul of the Abbot of Bath. To use a quotation that
has been applied elsewhere with greater effect^-

" I would not have a slave to till my^ground.
To &n me when I sleep, and tremble when
I wake, for all that human sinews, bought
And sold, have ever eam*d."

BoNNT, beautiful, pretty, handsome, cheerful. Dr. Johnson
derives this northern word from Fr, bon, bormey good. If
this be the etymon, it may have passed to the Scotch hem
the French; vrith whom, before the Union, the inhabitants of
Scotland were dosdy connected. Through this cbannd our

Digitized by VjOOQIC

BOOR 35

■ botdet o6uMry has derived mttch of ks kligiiage. Bonny,
however, has been viewed by some as allied to Gael, boigheach,
hoidkeach^ pretty. The word is of freqpient occurrence, in the
plays of Sfliakspeare, who appears to have understood it in all
its different meanings.

We say that Shore^s wife hath a pretty feot,

A cheny lip, a Umny eye, a passing pleasing tonguew

BkhardllL
Match to match I have encountered him.
And made a prey for canion kites and crows,
Ev'n of the loimy binst he lov*d so well

3 Hmry VL

Then sigh not so but let them go^
And be you blithe and hmmy^

MwhAio about NoSwng.

BooDim, the same as Babbt Booims; which see.

BooMERj smuggled gin. So called from a place in Nortfaumberr
land, where that staggering test of loyalty— the payment of
impoiBts*<^is impeuetrable.

Boo^, a serviceor bonus, done by a tenant to his landlord, or a
sum of money paid as an equivalent. The remains of the
ancient hfmdag^viiny or viQenage servitude; from Sax. himd^
bonds or ilBtters.

BooN-^DArs, digw works, wfaidi the tenants of some manors are
obl^edor howtd to perform for the benefit of their lord gratis.
Yast quantities of land in the northern counties, particularly
in Cumberland, are held under lords of manors by ettstoftuny
tenure, subjeot to the payment of fines and heriots, and the
performance of various duties and services on the bo<m day*
Spelman, vo. pre^arke, refers to ** biden days, quod Sax.
Diet precariat sonat, nam bidden est orare etprecari;^* and
^ves a curious extract from the Great Book of the Monastery
of Battel^ where the custom is plainly set forth.

Bopi^ BouB, the parlour, or inner room through the kitchen, in
country houses, in which the head person of the family gene-
rally slequu It is undoubtedly to be referred immediately to

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3e BOOR

Sax. bur^ which bears exactly the same sense. The analog
between this term, and Isl. bur^ a little dwelling, from Ixnuin,
to dwell, is striking* Spenser uses bower^ for a lady's apart-
ment« Fair Rosamond's bowery at Woodstock, is familiar to
every reader.

BoosDLY, BuiRDLT, stout, strong, robust; also stately, noble
looking.

BooRLY, rough, unpolished — booruh, Teut. hoer. Sax. bure^ a
boor.

BooR-TREB, or BouR-TREE, the elder tree. I have heard this
explained as the boor^$ /r^e—growing in cottage-garths, hedges,
&c. But see Bur-tree.

Boot, Bote, or Bute, something g^ven to equalize an exchange,
or in addition. In the former edition of this work, I gave old
Fr. botcy help, advantage, as a probable derivation. Booty y to
play booty, i. e. partially, unfair, (with a reference to H. Tooke,
Bid or Boty) has been since suggested to me; as has also Sax.
butauy to add — ^that which is added. But I think, on further
consideration, that the word has been adopted from the Saxon
expression to botcy compensationis gratis, insuper, ex abun-
dant!.

Booted Bread, boUed bready brown bread made of bolted or
sifted meal, and better than the common household bread-
sometimes with a mixture of rye. Boot may be derived from
Germ, bevieln, to sift.

Boother, Booder, or Bowder, a hard flinty stone, rounded like
a bowl. Sc. botdder^stane^ V. Todd's John, boulder ^ and
bowlder-stones.

BoRROWED-DAYs, BoRROWiNG-DAYS, the three last days of March.

March borrowed of April

Three days, and they were ill :

The one was sleet, the other was snow.

The third was the worst that e'er did blow.

Northern Popular Kfiyme.

These days being generally stormy, our forefathers, as my

Digitized by VjOOQIC

BOUN 37

friend Dr. Jamieson remarks, have endeayoured to account
lor this circumstance by pretending that March borrowed
them from April, that he might extend his power so much
longer. The superstitious will neither borrow nor lend any
thing on any of these days, lest the article should be employ-
ed for evil purposes.

Boss, empty, hollow, exhausted. Teut. 5<»«^, umbo. Jam.

Botheration, plague, trouble, difficulty; From bothered^ per-
plexed or puzzled; or, as Grose has it, « talked to at hoih
ears.*'

BoTTOM-RooH, a vulgar term for a single seat in a pew. In Dr.
Jamieson's Supplement to his Scottish Dictionary, vo.
bottom, *' the breech, the seat in the human body," the author
states that he has not observed that the word is used in this
sense in England. It is, however, very common in all our
Northern counties.

Bought, a fold where ewes are milked. Teut. bocht.

Bought Bread, bread of a finer quality purchased of the baker,
in opposition to a coarser kind made at home.

Bquk, v. to wash linen ; or rather to steep or soak it in lye of a
particular description, with a view of whitening and sweetening
it. — BouK, «. the lye used on the occasion. Ital. bucato, lye
to wash with, . But see Jam. Supp. bovkin-wtuhing. Buck, is
used by Shakspeare, as well for the liquor in which clothes are
washed as for the clothes themselves. Every one remembers
the ludicrous adventure of our fat fnend, Falstaff, in the great
buck-^teuket. The process of bouking linen, adopted by the
older Northumbrian house-wives, would, I fear, be considered
too coarse and homely for their more southern neighbours to
imitate, and therefore I refirain from particularizing it.

BouK, Bowk, bulk, quantity, or size; the body of a tree. Su.-
Got. bolk. Chaucer uses bouke, for the trunk of the human
body, which Mr. Tyrwhitt says, is probably from Sax. buce,
venter. The correspondent term in Swed. is buk.

Boun, Bowne, bound, destined, engaged, about to go to some
place, or to do something. According to Dr. Jamieson, firom

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38 BOUR

SiL-Got boa, to prepare, to make ready, of which boen^ or

boin, is the participle. The word is used in Sir Walter Scott's

Poems, paum.
BeuliD, V, to jest, — Bourd, $, a jest. Old Fr. hourd. This is

one of our oldest words, as Mr. Todd remarks, and is sdll

used in the north of England.
Bout, a contest or struggle; espiecially when appHed to a jovial

meeting of the legitimate sons of Bacchus* where

The drj divan
^ Close in firm circle ; and set, ardent, in

For serious drinking.^T^omfoit.

Boot, a northern pronunciation eibtd. V. Todd's John. huU

BowDiKiTE, a corpulent mm, induced bj eating plentifully ; . firom
houfd, curved, and hite^ the belly« The term also betokens
contempt, and is often applied to a mischievous child, or 'an
insignificant person.

BowELL-HOLE, a Small ap^ure in a bam, a perforation through
a wall for giving light or air. V« Jam. Supp. bmL

BowBRT, plump, buxom ; generally applied to a young female in
great health. Bowery and huxom are, in reality, the same
word; both referraMe to Sax. hoctumy obediens, morigenis,
flexibilis; in old English boughomey i. e. (according to H.
Tooke) easily bended or bowed to one's will, or obedient. In
an old form of the marrii^ ceremony in a MS. Rituale in
usum Sarum, circa 1450, die bride promised ** to be boner &
bttxs" Y. Astle on Writing, tab. xxvii. p. 150, specimen 15.

Bowk, Bouk, to nauseate so as to be ready to vomit, to bdich.
^ Bowhng full ;" a state of repletion* An old English word.
« He bockeih lyke a churle."— Pafrgrotw.

BowuNG-MATCH, a game with bowls made of stone— 4iot on
bowRng-greens, but, to the great annoyance of travellers, on
the hi^ways &om villi^ to village*
Box, a club or society instituted for benevolent or charitable pur-
poses, and possessing a common chest, or box >— partners in
the money deposited in this box; and derived finom that

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BRAD 89

drcumstancey as barJi is from the bench on which money was
placed, weighed, &c. in the good old times of gold and silver.
Ihe oldest institution of the kind, which I have been able to
trace, is that of the keelmen of Newcastle and the neighbour-
hood ; who, on the ** head meeting day,'* after assembling at
their hospital, walk in procession through the principal streets
of the town, attended by a band of music. Much greater in-
terest was formerly manifested in this business by the parties
concerned, who made it a point of honourable emulation to
rival each other in the grandeur of theur apparel ; especially in
the pea-jadket^ the sky-blue stockings, the longnjuartered
shoes, and large silver buckles. • Cold was the heart of that
feinale, old or young, connected with the " Keel lads o' coaly
Tyne/* who could look unmoved on such a spectacle; and if
the fiur ones did sometimes indulge in scenes which I neither
wish to describe nor see repeated, their rencounters, generally
commencing without any previous malice, were rardy again
remembered.

Box-dinner, a customary dinner among the members of a society,
or box.

Box AND Dies, Box and Dice. A game of hazard, formerly
much practised among the pitmen and kedmen at races, feirs,
and hoppings, but now very properly prohibited*

Brabbleme^tt, a noisy quarrel, or indecent wrangling. Dut.
brMelen, to mingle confusedly. Brabble occurs in Shaks-
peare, in more instances than one.

Brack, to break. Sax. breean, frangere. Sc. brak.

Bracken, or Brecken, fern. In Smoland, in Swed^ the fe-
male fern is called bracken. Sw. Stotbraakin. Jn is a termi-
nation in Gothic, denoting the female gender. V. Jam.

Brade, to resemble. Mr. Hunter says, to breed. She breeds
of him, she resembles him, or she fiivours of him, another coU
loquialism, and sometimes she £inrours him. Bay was of the
same opinion. But the sense, as Dr. Jamieson has observed,
is preckely the same with that of Isl. bregdro, bregth^ Bxk^
^^ braoy verbs denoting the reseraUaDce of children, in

Digitized by VjOOQIC

40 BRAF

dispositions^ to their progenitors. Bregdur harm til ^itmr,
progenitoribus suis qmsque fere similis est^ G. Andr. p. 38. V.
Ihre, V. Braa^ The latter writer views IsL brag-ur, mos, aP-
. . fectio, modus agendi, as the radical term.

Since Frenchmen are so Iraidf
' Marry that will, 1*11 live and die a maid.

Shak. AWt mU, 4;c.

The Commentators have mistaken the meaning of this pas-
i sage. Mr. Steevens refers to bred, an Anglo-Saxon word,

signifying /raitf, astut; but it has no relation. . The error also

occurs in Todd*s Johnson.
BrafPam, Braugham, a collar for a draught horse; sometimes

made of old stockings stuffed with straw. Gael, braigheadain,
. a collar; from braigh, the neck. Sc. brecham.
Braid, broad. Sax. brady latus. This is the old English, and

still the Northern and Scotch pronunciation.
Braid, to nauseate, to desire to vomit; hence upbraid. Braid

is an old word for reproach ; stated in the first edition of this

work to be obsolete, but which, I have since found, is still in

use. In Wiclif, Luk. ix. 42, brayde is to tear,
Braid-Band, com laid out in the sheaf on the band, and s{»*ead

out to dry after rain. Tha phrase occurs in Scotland; and
• Mr. Kinloch informs me that it is also used there in a figura-
. tive sense ; as i^« tn the braid-band;, t. e, the thing is ready for

being finally worked off.
Braids, scales. In general use among the lower class of form-
ers in Northumberland.
Braird, or Breard, the first appearance of a plant above ground ;

more especially the tender blades of springing com. Sax.

brord, frumenti spicse.
Brake, a heavy harrow used for breaking large clods of earth on

rough Mow land. V. Nares' Gloss, for other significations.
Branded, having a mixture of red and black. Dut. branden.
Brander, «. to broU, to grill. Tent, branden, to bum. — BuJkN-

DER, or Brander-iron, the instrument on which.the meat is

brandered, or grilled— a gridiron.

Digitized by VjOOQIC '

BRAN 41

Brand-irons^ the same as £ni>-ibons; which see. V. SkW
and-'irans.

Brandlxno, a name given to a species of trout cau^t in ihe
rivers in Northumberland, where sahnon is found, particularly
in the Tyne. Early in the year they are seen about three
inches long, but in the course of a few months increase to six
or seven inches ; after which, they are rarely found any laiger.
like the salmon-smelt and whitling, they have no spawn.
Some authors suppose them to be only the fry of the common
salmon ; but Pennant gives several good reasons for condder-
ing them a distinct species. They are faintiy barred or brand"
ed on the sides; hence, perhaps, the name. I>r. Jamieson
traces it to Isl. branda, trutta minima, whence brand-koed^
ftetura truttarum. V. Supplement, vo. branRe.

Bbandung, a small worm found in beds of tan ; a good bait for
trout; probably so called from being used in fishing for the
brandling species.

Bbandreth, or Brandrith, an iron tripod fixed over the fire,
on which a pot or kettle is placed. Sax. brandred, a Inrand
iron. Dan. brandrith,

Brank, r. to hold up the head affectedly, to put a bridle or re-
straint on any thing. ItaL branca^ a daw or fang,—- or by me-
tonymy, a gripe : brancare, to sdze. This word gives me an
opportunity of introdudng another of kindred import— the
Branks, an instrument kq>t in the Mayor's Chamber, New-
castle, for the punishment of ^ chiding and scolding women.**
It is made of iron, fastens round the head like a muzzle, and has
a spike to insert in the mouth so as effectually to silence the
offensive oigan within. Ungallant, and unmercifully severe, as
this species of torture seems to be, Dr. Plot, in his Bistory of
Stafibrdshire, much prefers it to the cucking stool, which, h&
says, ^ not only endangers the health of the party, but also
gives the tongue liberty 'twixt every dip." See an engraving
of Robert Sharp, an officer of the Corporation of Newcastle,
leading Ann Bidlestone through the town, with a pair o£ branks
. on her head, in Gardiner's England's Grievance discoyered,

6

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42 BRAN

orig. eUt p. 110; copied by Brand, in plate ^ Miscdianeon'
Antiquities,'' Vol. II. p. 47. On rdTerence to Wachter, I find
prangfftf cogere, premere, coarctare. Hence, he says, the
pillory is yulgarly called pranger, from the yoke or collar
in whiph the neck of the culprit, thus exposed to public shame^
is held, ** Muzzle 'er, muzzle 'er, put 'er on the branks** is
yet, I regret to state, to be heard in the good town where I

Branks, a sort of bridle used by country people on the Borders.
—North. Mr, Culley, of Fowberry Tower, who kindly ftir-
mshed me with an extensive MS. list of Local Words, thus
describes it : *' a hfdter for leading or riding a horse, when the
head stool is made of hemp or birch twigs, and the piece that
goes over the nose of two pieces of wood united by hemp or
leather-thongs, and a hempen or birch-shank." According to
Shaw's Galic Dictionary, brancas is a bridle. See Kilian,
under pranghe^ muyUpranghe,

Bran-new, Brand-new, Brand-spanderpNew, quite new; any
thing fresh from the maker's hand; bearing, as it were, his
brand, or mark upon it. Often applied to clothes to denote
the shining glossy appearance given by passing a hot iron over
them. Teut. brand-new. But. brand nieuw. Shakspeare
uses *^fire new arms," and **fire new fortune." In like man-
ner, a country blacksmith, on seeing an Honourable Baronef s
bride for the first time, exclaimed, *' its Sir John L— , with
his^re new wife !"

Brant, steep, difficult of ascent ; as a bratd brow, a steep hill. It
also means consequential, pompous in one's walk; as '^you
seem very brant, this morning," i. e. you put on all your con*
sequence. A game cock is said to be brant. Loftiness ^-
pears to enter into all the meanings of the word. Is!, brattr,
acdivis, arduus. Swed. brarU, steep.

Brash, or Water-brash, «. a sudden sickness, with acid rising
in the mouth; as in the heart-bum. V. Wachter, brassen, —
My worthy friend, Mr. Turner, suggests a bursting forth of
water; from burst, often pronounced brast; at least in

Digitized by VjOOQIC

BRAW *43

Cbeshire ; where, he says, he has heard this rustic invitation :
'* Gome, surSy eight (t. e. eat)^-I can dght no more, Fm welly
(well nigh, almost) brosten. Eh, surs, I wud I had aug^t to
brast ye wi*."

Brash, a. hasty, impetuous, rash.

Brasht, delicate in constitution, subject to frequent bodOy indis-
position, or weakness. V. Jam. brash.

Brass, money, riches. The word of course for wealth "when
brass was the standard ; as €bs was in Rome ; ti^yv^uf in the
cotemporary, but more advanced, states of Greece ; de Farg^
now in France ; and gold m England. Hence, in the North,

- a wealthy person is said to have plenty of brass, without being
charged with impudence^

Brat, the film on the surface of some liquids; as, for instance,
that whidi appears on boiled milk when cooled.

But, a rag, a child's bib, a coarse i^ron. Sax. Iratt^ pannicu«
* Ins. In Scotland it would seem to mean clothing in general ;
as in die well*known phrase, ** a bit and a brat^*

Brat, a turbot. In the Newcastle fish market the hollibut is
called a turbot.

Bratchet, a contemptuous epithet; generally applied to an ill-
behaved child; and similar in that sense to whelp. Fr.
Bratchet, a slow hound.

Brattish, a shelf. Also a seat with a high back; as a screen
near the kitchen fire. The word may be derived from Germ.
brateny to roast — ^the screen within which the roasting is car-
ried on ; though I am rather inclined to view it as a corrup-
tion o£ partition, for which it is used in the pit language of the
North.

Brattle, v. to make a clattering noise, to sound like thunder.—
Brattub, s, a clattering noise, a clap of thunder.

Bravely, in excellent health — however deficient in courage.

Braw, findy dpthed, handsome. Teut. brauwe, omatus. The
word is also used in the sense of, clever, worthy, excellent,
strong. Swed. braf, good— m braf karl, a good man.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

44 BRAW

Wnes ! Ajfdiy lang was hale aii' fank, the king b* laddies
His wrist was like an anchor shank, his fist was like the daw*

Song, Bold Arcky DrowndeeL

Brawlt, very well, in good health, finely. Swed, brqf, well —

han tndr hrafy he is well.
Brawn, a common northern name for a boar. V. Tooke, brawn,

yoLiLp.79,

And there her grace sits mumping,
Uke an old ape eating a bravm,

Beaum, ^ FJet. Mad Lmer.

Mr. Ellis, of Otterboume, to whom I am indebted for sere-
nd additional articles to this edition of the Glossary, is of
opinion that we should here read prawn ; it bdng, as he justly
remarks, much more natural for the ape to eat a small shell-
fish than a boar. I have referred to the original folio of 1647,
where it is brawn; but the mistakes in that book are so num-
berless that I am not inclined, on its authority, to question the
propriety (A this, at least very plausible, amendment. One
modem edidon reads eatif^ brawn,

^ The J7rat&n of Brancepath," to borrow the description
and remarks of my fiiend, Mr. Surtees, *' was a formidable
animal, which made his lair on Brandon-hill, and walked the
forest in andent undisputed sovereignty firom the Wear to the
Gaunless. The marshy, and then woody, vale, extending from
Croxdale to Feny-wood, was one of the brawn's favourite
haunts, affording roots and mast, and the luxurious pleasure of
volutation. Near Cleves-cross, Hodge of Ferry, after care-
fully marking the boar's track, dug a pitfell, slightly covered
. with boughs and turf, and then toling on hb victim by some
bait to the treacherous spot, stood armed with his good sword
across the pit&ll —

At once with hope and fear his heart rebounds !
*' At length the gallant brute came trotting on his onward

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BREM 46

padiy and sedng the {Musage barred, nuifaed headloag on Ihe
vile pitfidl. The story has nothing very improbable, and
something like real evidence still exists. According to all
tradition the rustic cham^non of Cleves sleeps beneath a coffin-
dueled stone in Merrington church-yard, rudely sculptured
with the instruments of his victory, a sword and spade on each
ndeof a cross."
Bkba, Bbbe, or Broo, the brink or bank of a river, the steep
lace of a hill. OaeL and Welsh, bre^ a hill. Brae is used in
Scotland in a similar sense — ** Ye banks and braeg of bonny
Down."
Bbbdb, bread— employment. " He*s out o* bredcj poor man."
Bbede, breadth or extent. An old English word from the
Saxon. See Abredb. Bracton uses brede for broad; and
in that sense I found it in an English indenture, temp.
Bichard IIL
Bbebks, the old, and still vulgar name, for the lower habiliments.
Sax. br<Bc^ bracocBf breeches. V. Thomson, breeches.

The bridegroom gaed thro* the reel.

And his breeks cam trodling doun.

And his breeks cam trodling doun ;
And aye the bride she cried—

Tie up your leathern whang.

Tie up your leathern whang. Otf Scots BaUad,

It is proper to mention, that, before the invention of braces,
the gentlemen's ** smalls" were usually supported by a lea-
thern whang, or belt, round the waist.
Breme, Brim, t;. to desire the male; applied to a sow when
maris appetens. Teut. bremen, ardere desiderio. — Brekb,
Brim, Brimming, i. ardens in venerem. Sax. fervor, ardor.

She was as bryme as any boare.

Fekm Sam qfRdk^

Bbsmb, cold, bleak, serere. Sax. bremman, to rage. Not used,

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M BRBK

Dr. Johnson says; but I have often heard it in the North;
especially in Yorkshire.

Brent, steep. Synonymous with Bramt; which see. The

- word occurs in the wdl-iuiown Scotch song, John And^aon,
my Jo.

Bberb, Brear, to sproitty to prick up as grain does when it first
germinates. Bishop Kennett, in lus MS.. Glossary, among
the Lansdowne MSS. in the British Museum (No. 1098), has
to hrere, or to be brered, as com just coming up. See Braird,
or Breard.

Brewis, a large thick crust of bread put into the pot where salt
beef is boiling and nearly ready: it attracts a portion of the
fat, and when swelled out is no unpalatable diab to those who
(like some of our Northern swains) rarely taste animal food.

• So says Mrs. Bundle, who, I believe, was long a resident in
Northumberland. Brewis is also common in HaUamshire;,

. where, Mr. Hunter informs me, the bread used in the jMrepa-
ration of the dish is commonly of oats. After this, I need
hardly remark that my venerable friend, Mr. WHbraham, is
mistaken in thinking that it is used only in Cheshire and Lan-
cashire. The probable etymon of the word is briwas, the
Saxon plural of briw, sorbitio ; though a learned correspon-
dent of mine derives it frcmi the Greek fi^^crtf ; which he also
considers, I think justly, as the original of the Scotch brose.

Brewster, a brewer. Hence, I conceive, the Brewster Ses-
sions, when publicans receive their licenses.

Brian» To brian an oven, is to keep fire at the mouth of it;
either to give light or to preserve the heat. — North.

Bride-ale, the marriage feast at a rustic wedding. The day of
marriage has always been, and it is to be hoped — ^in spite of
disconsolate old maids, and love-crossed bachelors — ^will ever
continue to be, a time of festivity. Among the plM)eians in
Cumberland it glides away amidst music, dancing, and revelry.
Barly in the morning, the bridegroom, attended by his friends
on horseback, proceeds in a gallop to the house of the bride's

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BfilD' AT

fiitlier. Having alighted, he salutes her, and then the company
breakfast together. This repast concluded, the whole nuptial
party d^art in cavalcade order towards the church, accompa-
nied by a fiddler, who plays a succession of tunes appropriate
to the occasion. Immediately after the performance of the
ceremony the company retire to some neighbouring ak^houtej
and many a flowing bumper of home-brewed, is quaffed to the
health of the happy pair. Animated with this earthly nectar,
they set off full speed towards the future residence of the
bride, where a handkerchief is presented to the first who ar-
riyes. In some of the country villages in the county of Dur-
ham, after the connubial knot is tied, a ribbon is proposed as
Ae subject of contention either for a foot or a horse race,—
supposed to be a delicate substitution for the bride's garter,
which used to be taken off while she knelt at the altar; and
the practice being anticipated, the garter was generally found
to do credit to her taste and skill in needle work. In Craven,
where this singular sport also prevails, whoever £rst reaches
the bride's halntation, is ushered into the bridal chamber;
and after having performed the ceremony of turning down the
bed clothes, returns, carrying in his hand a tankard of warm
tdcy previously prepared, to meet the bride ; to whom he tri-
umphantiy offers his humble beverage, and by whom, in re-
turn, he is presented with the ribbon, as the honourable reward
of his victory. Another ancient marriage ceremony of the
same sort, still observed in remote parts of Northumberland,
is that of riding for the kml, where the party, after kissing the
bride, set off at full speed on horseback to the bridegroom's
house ; the winner of the race recdving the kail, or dish of
spice broth, as tiie chief prize.

Four rustic fellows wait the while
To kiss the bride at the church stile :
Then vigorous mount their felter*d steeds-
'—To scourge them going, head and tail.
To win what country call « the kaiV\

(McketCt CcUier's Wedding.

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4S BRID

Bride-cake, the cake protided on occasion of the weddiiig--Ki
remnant of the ancient mode of solemnizing a marriage by
confarreation. In some places in the Nprth, it is customary
after the bridal party leave the church, to have a tliin currant-
cake, marked in squares, though not entirely cut through. A
clean cloth bdng spread oyer the head of the bride, the bride-
groom stands behind her, and breaks the cake. Thus hallow-
ed, it is thrown up and scrambled for by the attendants, to
excite prophetic dreams of love and marriage, and is said by
those who pretend to understand such things, to have much
more virtue than when it is merely put nine times through the
ring. This custom is generally prevalent in Scotland. Y.
Jam. Supp. breaking bread on the bride's head, .

Bride-spurs, spurs allotted to the best runner after the marriage
ceremony. — North,

Bride-wain, a custom in Cumberland where the friends of a new
married couple assemble together in consequence of a previous
invitation (sometimes actually by public advertisement in the
newspapers), and are treated with cold pies, frumenty, and ale.
The company afterwards join in all the various pastimes of
the country, and at the conclusion, the bride and brid^proom
are placed in two chairs, the former holding a pewter dish on
her knee, half covered with a napkin. Into this dish eveiy
one present, high and low, makes it a point to put something;
and these offerings occasionally amount to a considerable sum.
I suppose it has obtained the name of i&atn, from a very ancient
custom, now obsolete in the North, of presenting a bride, who
had no great stock of her own, with a wain or waggon load of
articles of use and luxury. On this occasion the wtdn.waa
crowned with boughs and flowers, and the horses or oxen
which drew it decorated with bride-favours.

Brig, Brigo, a bridge. Sax. bricg^ brigg.

Beside yon hrigg out ower yon bum.
Where the water bickereth bright and dieen»

Shall many a fiiUing coiurser spum„
And knights shall die in battle keen.

Prophecy of Thomat (he Rymer,

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BROU 49

SitiBsuBy or BtBSKLy to scorch, to parch by means of fire, to

crackle. Sax. broMan^ to bum, to make a crackling noise.
Broach, a spire-steeple; as Chester broach— —Darlington

broach — ^the broaches of Durham Cathedral. The Fr. brocke,

a spit, is the probable etymon ; the structure bdng pointed

like a spU or broach. In Yorkshire the pronunciation is

broUch; the fine spire at Wakefield being always called " the

broUchr
Broach, an instrument on which yam is wound.
Brock, a badger. Pure Saxon. Dan. brook. V. Thomson.
Brock, a name sometimes given to a cow, or husbandry horse.
Brock, the little insect in the gowk, or cuckoo-spit. Hence, I

am informed, the common ndgar expression, ** to sweat like a

brodcr
Brock-faced, a white longitudinal mark down the fiice like a

badger. Su.-Got. brokug^ of more than one colour.
Brockle/Bruckle, inconstant, uncertain, yariable; applied to

the weather. It also means brittle, and to break ; in a general

sense. Teut. brokel, fragilis. Chaucer writes it broteL
Brod, Broddle, to make holes. See Proo, Froggle.
Brossen, Brosten, Brussen, Brusten, part. a. burst. Also

broken ; as ** brossen hearted."
Brotchet, Brotchert, or Bragwort, a thin liquor made firom

the last squeezings of honey-comb.
Broth, pluraL ^ Will you have some broth ?'* '' I will take a

feufj if they are good."
Brott, shaken com. Sax. gebrode, fragments, Swed. brotty

fracture, breach. Isl. brot.
Brough, or Bruff, a singular appearance in the moon— a sort

of halo or circle, in misty weather, prognosticating a storm.

It is a popular saying,

A &r off hrough is a storm near enough.

A GredL origin has been assigned to this word — fi^^x^i, a
chain about the neck ; but M<e.-Got. bairgs, mons, seems a
more probable etymon.

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50 BROU

Broughton, an old Northumbrian dish ; composed of two cakes^
with thin slices of cheese in the middle. When sufficiently
baked, it is cut into squares, and eaten with melted butter and.
sugar. It is a repast on Mdsummer eve, and also on Saint
Thomas' night.---£x relatione mulieris setatis suae 99. Grose
has braughwham, a Lancashire dish made of cheese, eggs,
bread, and butter, boiled together.

Browden, to be an^us for, or warmly attached to any object,
to be enamoured of it — to brood on, that is to cherish by care.
Dut. broeden, to brood.

Browdin, or Browdant, vain, conceited, bold, forward.

Brownie, a domestic spirit ; described, in the Border Mnstrelsy,
as meagre, shaggy, and wild, in his appearance — ^lurking in the
day-time in remote recesses of old houses, which he delighted to
haunt— ^nd in the night sedulously employing himself in dis-
charging any laborious task which he thought might be accept-
able to the femily. The history of " The Cauld Lad of
Hilton," an elf of this sort, may be seen in Surtees* History of
Durham, Vol. II. p. 24. The reader, curious in these mat-
ters, is referred to the amusing stories of the Scandinavian
Nisses, in the 1st. Vol. of the Fairy Mythology; and of the
Grerman Kobolds, in the Sd. Vol. of the same entertaining
work.

Brown-leauer, or Leemer, a ripe brown hazel-nut that easily
separates from its husk. I once thought of deducing this
word from brovjUy and Fr. le m&r, the ripe one; but Mr.
Surtees, with much more probability, refers to leetm, which in
Saxon means easy; a derivation supported by 8wed.lemna,
to leave.

Brulliment, a broil, or quarrel. Fr. brouiUer, to quarrel.

Brunt, burnt. '' A brunt child dreads the fire."

Brussle, the same as Brissle; which see. ^ Bruttled peas"—
peas scorched in the straw. V. Ray, brusle; and Jam. bp'^.

Bubbly, snotty. "The bairn has a bMley nose." — Grose.
For a further illustration, see The Sandgate Xassie's Lamen-
tation.

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BULL 51

»BuBBLT-JocK, a turkey cock. V. Jamieson.

Buckle, Buckle to, to join in marriage. Significant enough
surely. V. Jam. Supp.

Buckle-mouthed, a term applied to a person with large strag-

' gling teeth. Buch-tootked has the same meaning.

Buck-stick. See Spell and Ore, and Trippit and Corr.

Bud, a common pronunciation of buty among the vulgar; and
also among some who consider themselves far removed from
that circle.

Buddy-bud, Buddt-buss, the flower of the burr, or burdock.
Arctium lappa. It is well known how tenaciously it adheres to
tiiat against which it is thrown. To stick like a burr, is indeed
proverbial.

Budge, to bulge, to give way, to desist, to abridge or lessen.
*• I wont budge a penny." .

BuER, a common name given to the gnat.

Buess, Buse, a stall, station, or post of office or business; a
beast-stall, or boose. Sax. bosig, praesepe. Swed. b8s. Isl.
ias.

Buist, Beust, or Bust, v. to put a mark or brand upon sheep
or cattle by thdr owners. The word is also used as a sub-
stantive, for the mark or brand itself. My friend, Mr. Raine,
derives it from buro, to bum. But see Baste.

Bulb, or Bool, the bow of a pan or kettle. Sax. bugan, flectere,
jystn. boei/el, a bending or curvature; Teut. &^f^^/,.hemicy-
dus ; and Germ, bugel, a bow ; are cognate.

BuLLER, V. to bellow — ^to roar as a buU does.

BpLLER, BuLDER, s, uoisc, uproar, disturbance. Swed. buller,
Dan. buldcTy noise, bustle, tumult.

Bull-fronts, tufts of coarse grass. Aira ccespUosa,

BuLLiRAG, to banter, to rally in a contemptuous way, to insult
in a bullying manner— the northern pronunciation oibaUarag,
In a Review of the first edition of this Work, in the Gent.
Mag. for May 1825, the writer asks, if it be not a verb formed
from buRi^rooky a word which is used by Otway in his Epi-
logue to Alcibiades, and which Steevens calls a' compound

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62 BULL

title, taken from the rooks at cbess? Lye rather imagines It
to be derived from Isl. batU, a curse, and raegia, to reproach.

BuLLOCKiNO, noisy and violent, imperious. Allied to Buller ;
VFhich see.

Bulls and Cows, the flower of the Arum maculatum. Some-
times called lords and ladies, and also lam-lakens.

Bull-trout, a large fine species peculiar to Northumberland,
and much esteemed. The larger kind of salmon-trout taken
in the Coquet, are in the Newcastle market called httll iroutsi
but these fish are larger than salmon-trout in the head, which
is a part generally admired for its smallness.

Bilhope bmes for bucks and raes.

And Carit haugh for swine.
And Tarras for the good huS^roui^

If he be ta*en in time. (M Ryme,

BuLLT, the champion of a party, the eldest male person in a &-
mily. Now generally in use among the keelmen and pitmen
to designate a brother, companion, or comrade. In Cumber-
land, and also in Scotland, bUly is used to express the same
idea as bully. There is probably some affinity between these
terms and the Germ. biUig, equalis ; as denoting those that are
on an equal footing, either in respect of relationship or em-
ployment.

Bum, V, to buzz, to make a humming noise, like a bee or a top.
Dut. bommen, to resound.

Bum, s, the assistant or follower of a bailiff. Dr. Johnson has
bum-iailiff,^ well-known name for an unpopular officer of the
law; but the north country bum, is a (^stinct personage, fol-
lowing and assisting the bailiff. It may be, as has been con-
jectured, from bound; though more likely, I think, from bum,
the buttocks; a word which '^ the poet of all nature" disdain-
ed' not to use, when he thought it most expressive to desig-
nate this very delicate part of the human body by one of its
right English names.

There was Preston the bailiff, Joseph Craggs was his bum.

Dur^m Songi LimJbo,

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BUMP 93

BnmuflBD, confused, astomshed, stupified.
BvMMJSBif BuMBLER, BuMBLE-BEB, a laige wild bee which makes a
great noise. In Scotland called Imnhbee, Teut. hommeky a
drone. My friend, Mr. Taylor, prefers Germ. bfmiMln^ ot
bammeln, a reciprocating noise; as, banmein der glocken, the
ding dong of bells. When the late Lord Strathmore raised
tlie Derwent L^on,in 1803,firom a principle of economy, he
clothed the infantry in scarlet-jackets, with black breeches and
accoutrements. From this singularity of dress, the corps ob-
tained the contemptuous designation of the Bumleri'^aa well
as a coarser epithet, which it is not necessary or fit to repeat
here.

BuxLER-BOX, or BuHBUBB^BOX, a small wooden toy used by boys
to hold bees. Also the Sunderland niame for a van for pas-
sengers, drawn by one horse*

BuMMEL, or Bdmble, to blunder, to bungle.

BuMMSLLEB, or BuMBLER, a blundering fellow, a bungler.

BuMMEii-KiTE, or BuHBLE-iOTE, a bramble berry. Subus fruU-
coius* In traversing the recesses of those woods and groTe%
where, in the words of Gray,

Once my careless childhood strayM,

I have often been admonished, by the *^ good old folks,** never
to eat these berries after Michaelmas day; because the arch-
fiend — ** huge m length, and floating many a rood" — to borrow
the language of another of our poets, was sure to pass his
•* cloven foot" over them at that time.

BvMMEi^KiTB WITH A SPIDER in't, a bad bargain, a disappoint-
ment. A high-flown metaphor.

Bummer, a carriage that sounds firom a distance on the road.
^ A road for foot, a road for horse, and yen for a' the bum'
mers**

BtTMP, a stroke or blow. Isl. bon^s. ** Bump against Jarrovr,**
is a common expression among the keelmen, when they run
foul <^ any thing. See the song, Littie Pee Dee,

BvmwQt a peculiar sort of punishment amongst youngsters.

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64 BUNC

Too many boys have reason to remember the school disdpline

^ ofhumpingt admvably described by Major Moor, in his SufR>lk
Words and Phrases, p. 53.

Bunch, to strike with the foot, to kick. To punch, I believe,
means to kick,--^in Lancashire;— to strike straight forward in
the body, — elsewhere.

BuNCH-BERRT, the fruit of the rubus seupatUis; of which the
country people often make tarts.

BijNTiNS, Buntings, balks of foreign timber, secured in rafts on
the shores of the river Tyne ; afloat at high water. '^ Let's
go hikey on the buntitu"'^Newc. Dan. bundt, and Swed.
bufU, a bundle or bale, seem cognate.

Burn, a brook, or rivulet. Pure Saxon. Although this word,
on both sides of the Tweed, is used to denote any runner of
water which is less than a river, yet, properly speaking, a burn
winds slowly along meadows, and originates from small
springs; while a beck is formed by water cdlected on the

' sides of mountains, and proceeds with a rapid stream ; though
never, I think, api^ed to rivers that become sestuaries.

BuRNsuoE, the gromid situated on the side of a bum, or brook.

BuRN-THE-BiscuiT. A youthful game in Newcastle.

BuKNT-His-FiNGERs. When a person has failed in any object or

- speculation, or has been over^reached in any endeavour or
undertaking, he is said to have burnt his fingers.

Burr, a peculiar whirring sound, made by the natives of New-
castle, in pronouncing, or rather, in endeavouring to pro-
nounce, the letter R,— derived from their Northumbrian
ancestors. ** He has the Newcattle burr m his throat," is a
well-known proverb, in allusion to this peculiarity. Mr.
Springmann, the ingenious master of the Royal Jubilee
School, has published ** Six Lessons," to obviate the difficul-
ty of articulating this unfortunate letter. If his scholars can
be made to modulate anew,

Aound the rugged rocks the ragged rascals run their rural
race,

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BURT 56

the obstacle may be considered as no longer insurmountable.
A literary friend, however^ refers me to Persius^

~— Sonat hie de nare canina,
litera. Sst. /.

and suspects our Newcastle to be the true classical pro-
nunciation. The Sandhillers and Sandgaters certainly give
fine specimens of what Quintilian calls the '' canina elo-
quentia."

Burr, something put under a wheel to stop its progress— any
force or impetus. " To go with a burr,'* — ^pleno impetu. V.
Wilb. bir.

BuRiucASTLE, a coutcmptuous name for Newcastle. See Bell's
Rhymes, p. 56.

BuR-TREB, the common elder. Sambucut nigra. Perhaps borC'
tree, from the quantity or aze of the pith, which renders it
capable of being easily bored; though Dr. Wfllan says, it is so
called because the flowers grow in a cyme, close together, like
those of the bur. An intelligent relation of mine, on the con-
trary, thinks that it may have obtained the name frt>m its bdng
seldom without remarkable burs, or knobs, on its sur&ce,
especially on the older trees. A branch of this tree is sup-
posed to possess great virtue in guarding the wearer against
the charm of witchcraft, and other familiar agency. I remem-
ber, when a boy, during a school vacation in the country, at
the suggestion of my young companions, carrying it in my but-
ton-hole, with doubled thumb, when under the necessity of
passing the residence of a poor decrepit old woman; who,
though the most harmless creature alive, was strongly sus-
pected of holding occasional converse with an evil spirit.
Under this Impression, the country people were always re-
luctant to meet her. It is most extraordinary that Dr.
Whitaker should have been ignorant of what is meant by bur^
r tree,. See his History of Loidis and Elmete, p. 156.

BuBTBEB-GUN, BuRTREE-PLUFFER, 8 Small tube formed by taking
- out the soft pith of an elder-branch— employed by boys as an
offensive weapon.

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56 BUSH

Bush of a Whbbi^ cast metal employed to fiU up the too gnat
vacancy either in the aperture of the nave^ or between the nUcve
and the hurien; that is, the knocking shoulder of the axle;
firom FV. heurter, to knock.

Busk, a bush. Pure Danish, Su.-Got. and Isl. buskcy frutex.
Chaucer repeatedly uses the word. Bust is also a common
vulgar pronunciation of bush.

Busk, a [nece of wood worn by females to strengthen their stays ;
still in use in the country ; though generally superseded by
steel or whalebone. V. Kennett's Glossary, vo. busche,

BusKT, bushy, woody. The word occurs in Shakspeare, 1st.
Henry IV. Milton uses bosky, in a passage which Dr.
Johnson has misunderstood. V. Todd*s John, bourn.

Buss, to dress, to get ready. Germ, putzen, to deck or adorn.
j^tcA at^s beste putzen, to dress to the best advantage. The
Scotch use busky in the first sense; as in their beautiful pro^
verb, ** a bonny bride is soon busked.*^

But and Ben, the outer and inner apartment, where there are
only two rooms. Many houses on the borders, where the
expression is common, are so constructed. . The phrase is
undoubtedly without and within. Sax, butan and bttman;
originally, it is supposed, bi utan,and bi innan. By and nMk
are often synonymous.

Butler, a term on the Tweed, applied to a female who keeps a
bachelor's house — ^a farmer's housekeeper.

Butt, a piece of ground, which, in ploughing, becomes disjointed
from the adjacent land — a ridge shorter than the rest. Celt.
hdy terminus, limes. Schilter.

Butter and Brede. While Southerns say, bread and butter,

. bread and cheese, bread and milk, the Northumbrians place in
the rear that great article--the staff of life. Probably arising
from the greater facility, which, without reflection on their
part, is felt, of elevating the voice on a long syllable, as brede,
than on butter and milk; and the habit established in these
two instances draws cheese after it, though as long as brede.
The elevating of the tone, several notes, at the dose of a sen-
tence, is the characteristic of the Northumberland dialect.

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CACK 67

BtTTTSR^FiNGEKED, 881(1 of persons who are apt to let any thing
fall, or slip through th^ fingers. Mr. Losh thinks it is con-
fined to persons who cannot hold any thing hot. It is used
in this latter sense in Craven.

BvrrEB^wtPE, a woman that sells buttei^— a butter woman. An
old expression yet in use.

BuzzoH, a besom, or broom. — Buzzoh-shank, a broomstick. •

Btar, Byer, Btbe, a house in which cows are bound up — a
cow-house. The origin, Dr. Jamieson says, is uncertain. But
it is, perhaps, to be sought in Lat. boarius, of, or appertaining,
to, oxen; or in our ancient law-term for a cow-house— dow>
ria; if not in the Irish 6iiar, which is said to mean oxen or
kine, as well as what relates to cattle.

Btb-bootings, or Sharps, the finest kind of bran ; the second
in quality bdng called Treet, and the worst Chizzel.

Bteri£y's Buix-dogs, a name for Colonel Byerle/s troopers-
still remembered in popular tradition.— Durham.

Bysfelt, a strange, awkward figure, or a mischievous person;
acting contrary to reason, or propriety; as if labouring uTider

. the influence of a $peU. Or is it an ironical use of Germ, beff'
sjaely a pattern ? as, ** thou's a picture,'* addressed to a na-
turally plam, or accidentally disfigured, person.

Caa deed, dead — cM dead. A very common redundant ex-
pression in Northumberland. ''

Cab. Go cab my lug I a vulgar expression of surprise. ^ Ye
dinna say se,'* or, ** whe wad ha' thought it," is likely enough
to follow.

Ca' back. Call back, a wear or dam placed across a river or
stream for the purpose of turning water to a mill — a dam-
back.

Cack, r. alvum exonerare. Dan. k(^ke. Teut. kacken,^CACK,

I

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68 PACK

Cackt, «. stercus. Sax. cac, — Cackhouse, a domestic tetiv^
pie. Sax. cao-husy latrina. For cognate terms in other lan-
guages, V. Jam. Supp. ccLckt.

Cackle, to make a noise like a hen, to giggle.

^ADGE, to carry; hence Cadger; which see. Teut. Jcetzeny
discurrere. — Cadge also means to stuff or fill the belly.

Cadger, a packman or itinerant huckster; one who travdtf
through the country selling wares. Before the formation of
regular turnpike roads from Scotland to Northumberland, the
chief part of the commercial intercourse between the two
kingdoms was carried on through the medium of cadgers.
Persons who bring fish firom the sea to the Newcastle market
are still called cadgers.

Cadgy, hearty, cheerful, merry; especially after good eating
and drinking. I once thought tlmt this word was derived
from the second meaning of cadge; but an intelligent firiend
in Edinburgh refers me to Sc. caigicy dieerful, merry — ap-
proaching to wantonness. In the Gaberlunzie Man, cadgUy
certainly implies this idea —

My dochter*s shouthers he *gan to clap.
And cadgUy ranted and sang.

Mr. Callender, the editor of this ancient poem, whose notes
in general contain much valuable etymological learning, is,
my friend remarks, greatly mistaken in the derivation of this
word, and gives a very silly reason for it. Dr. Jamieson
seems more correct when he derives it from Su.-Got. kaett'
jasy lascivire.

Caff, chaff. Sax. ceaf. Germ, and DuL kaf.

Caghag, an old goose, which, fi*om its toughness, is utterly un^^
fit for the table.

Caingy, peevish, ill-tempered, whining; Q. fi*om Cain?

Cairn, a rude heap of stones often found on the summit of hilla;
and in other remarkable situations ; generally supposed to
have been thrown together in memory of some distinguished
person whose body or urn was buried under it^-the simple^

■ Digitized by VjOOQIC

CALL* 59

but impressive, funeral monumeiit of our earliest inhabitants.
All mankind, from the most remote antiquity, have agreed in
erecting sepulchral monuments of some sort, to mark their
admiration of the illustrious dead; and *' I will add a stone to^
your cairn" is still a significant e:(pression of gratitude. Gael.
came. Welsh, kaem.

Caitiff, a cripple. Old Fr. chetiff, chmt\f^ wretched. This
(and not Ital. caitivoy a slave,) is the origin of the word in its
classical sense.

Cake, v. to cackle ; spoken of a goose. Perhaps only a comfp-
tion»

Cake, s. a contemptuous term for an insignificant person.

Calf-lick, a tuft on the human forehead which cannot be made
to lie in the sa^e direction with the rest of the ludr. This^
term may have been adopted from a comparison with that part
of a calTs hide, where the hairs, having different directions, meet
and form a projecting ridge, supposed to be occasioned by the
animals licking themselves. But the act of licking, probably,
has had no part in the original meaning. Lick is the assimi-'
lating Gmnan termination--/tcA, like. The hair, therefore, is
calf4iie/

Calf- YARD, the dwelling place of our in&ncy; for which it is
natural to feel so many endearing recollections, even in their)
minutest traces.

If I could hid thee, pleasant shade, &rewell

Without a sigh, amidst whose circling bowers

Bf y stripling prime was pass'd, and happiest hours ;

Dead were I to the sympathies that swell

The human breast. Bmclct.

Call» «. occasion, necessity, obligation. ** There's no call for
it." It is also used as a verb. " Please, Sir, ftiay I go out ?*'
« Well, child, if nature calls you." " She does not caU, Sir,
but she shouts." — School Dialogue^ between B, A, and Mr, F.

Call, v. to proclaim, to give notice by the public crier. To he
called at ckurcht is to have the banns of marriage published.

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eo CALL

The ceremony of proclaiming every fair in Newcastle, which is

attended by the officers of the corporBtion, in state^ is deno-
minated rofftn^ i^/otr.
CALLANTy a stripling; a man clever or much esteemed. The
. etymology is doubtful. Y. Jun, callan, calland.
Callbevebino, KALEEVERiNGy Wandering abroad, gosnpping,

running about heedlessly— to use a modem' cant phrase,

larking.
Caller, a, cool» fresh; as the caUer ur. ** Caller herrings"—

" caller cocks," or ** caller cockles" — ^ caller ripe groscrs." —

Newc. cries. The word in form resembles IsL kalldur, fingi-

dus ; though its meaning does not denote the same d^;ree of

frigidity as cold.
Callet, to scold. Our old poet, Skelton, who was a native of

Cumberland, uses the substantive; and so does Shakspeare,

in the Winter's Tale. The only word which seems to have

any affinity is Germ, kahlheit, nonsense.
Calleting Housewife, a regular, confirmed scold.
Cam, a hill, the remains pf an earthen mound. Sax. comb^ which

Somner renders ^ a valley enclosed on either side with hilles."

Sc. kahn. The great ridge in Yorkshire between Penygent

and Whemside is called Cam-Felim
Cammerel, «. a large stretcher used by butchers. Bullet, in his

Celtic Dictionary, has camiaca, in the sense of a crooked

stick.
Cammerel, a. crooked. See Jamieson in voce, romy, camok.
Cample, to aigue, to answer pertly and frowardly when rebuked

by a superior. Germ, kampfen, to contend.
Canary, a term on tiie borders for a fsmme galante. Lord

^lailes, in his notes to the Bannatyne Poems, says, that iirde

is used in CSiaucer for a mistress.
Candle-cap, an old hat without a brim, with a candle in front ;

chiefly used by butchers.
Cange, or Cainge, to whine. See Caingt.
Canker, rust. — Cankered, cross^ ill-conditioned, rusty. Y.

Jam. Supp. cankert

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CAliT 61

CANHBfBsSi cautiaii^-igood ooaducty carefidoesB, See Cannt,

Cannt, a geoiune Newcastle word, q>pl]ed to any thing superior,
or of the best kind; hence, ** Canny Newcassel," par exceU
iencCf has become proverbial. It refers as well to the beauty
of form as of manners and morals; but most particularly m
used to describe those mild and alfectionate dispositions
which render persons agreed^ in the domestic state. It
has also reference to mechanical genius and ingenuity. ** A
canny man was never rich." The word, I find, extends to
Yorkshire; and I cannot do better than refer the reader^ for
an illustration, to the ^ Canny Yatton" of poor Margery
Mo<»pout, in Reed's Farce of 7%e Regjuter Office; a produc-^
tion marked by an accurate exhibition of provincial manners
and dialect. Dr. Jamieson suspects that the word |uus been
imported from Scotland into the North of Eng^d. Being
used in so many different senses, it is difficult to asogn a satis-
fectory etymon.

Cannt hinnv, metaphorically a sly person, a smoodi sinner;—
especially in afiairs of gallantry. See note in Sharp's Life of
Ambrose Barnes, p. 21, where it is stated that Anne, one of
Ijie rich daughters and co-heiresses of Alderman Ralph Cock,
was familiarly called one of ^ Cock's canny hmme$P

QKsfTf «. a comer. Germ, hante^ an edge, or extremity.

Cant, to sell by auction. See Canting.

Cant, o. to upset, to overturn. Germ, kanten^ to set a thing on
end.

Cant-DOS, a handspike with a hook; used ioi turning over
large pieces of timber.

Canting^ a sale by auction, proclaimed publicly on the spot
where it is to take place. Mr. Culley says, after a seizure
only; but it is, I think, also used in a general sense. The
derivation is evidently Ital. incantOf a public sale.

Canting-caller, an auctioneer. From the nature of his occupa^
tion. In sales among the Romans, a crier proclaimed the arti-
cles to be dbposed of ; and in the middle ages they added a
trumpet, with a very loud noise.

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flg? Cant

Cawty, merry, lively, cheerful. Su.-Got. ganta, lu^care.

Gap, to complete, to finish, to overcome in argument, to excel-
in any feat of agility, to crown all. Allied probably to Teut.
kappe, the summit. — Capper, one who excels.

Capsize, to overturn. A nautical word, though we have a ndr-

- them senator's authority for its use in matters not maritime.

Care-Cake, a cake made by country people of thick batter like
a pancake, with a mixture of hog's blood. In the Glossary to
the Antiquary, it is stated Uiat care cakes are pancakes; lite-
rally redemption cakes, or ransom cakes, such as were eaten
on Easter Sunday.

Car-handed, left-handed. One of the ancient Kings of Scot-
land was called << Kinath-Kerr," or Kinath the left-handtd.

Carl, SLarl, a country fellow, a gruff old man. Sax. ceari, a
countryman* Isl. karl, an old man. Germ, kerl, rusticus.
The words carl^ chorl, or churly and villain, were among our
ancestors the usual appellations for countrymen; though very
(^en used in a bad sense, and to denote a compound of igno-
rance and idleness. In the Kortbumbrensium Presbyteronm
Leges, the possessors of land were divided ipto three classes--
the king^s thanes and lords of land — ^the proprietors of huHt*-
and the ceorls, or husbandmen, who cultivated the soiL-

Carung-groat, a sum spent in drink at a public-house; tho
landlord providing his guests with the carlings gratis.

Carungs, grey peas steeped allnight in water, and fried the neit
day with butter. In the North they are served at table, on
the second Sunday before Easter, called Carlikg Sunday |
formerly denominated Care Sunday, as Care Friday and Cave
Week,, were Good Friday and Holy Week — supposed to h%
so called firom being a season of great religious care and anx»
iety. The peaa appear to be a substitute for the beans of the
heathens.

Carr, flat marshy land ; a small lake. Su.-Got. kaer.

Carrock, or CuRROCK, a heap of stones, used as a bounder
mark, or as a guide for travellers. See Genesis, chap, xxxi.,
V. 46 & seq. The word is also used for a mountain at a

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CAT.M JM

' >difltalice,l)y which, wlieu the sun appears over it, the country

people compute the time of the day.
Carry-on-the-War, to keep up or continue fun or mischief after

it has commenced — to revel in bacchanalian orgies,

With a Mend and a pipe puffing sorrow away.

Casings, Cassons, Cow-blaoes, cow dung dried for fuel.

Gasket, a stalk or stem ; as a cabbage-casket. Probably deri-
ved from Su.-Got. quuty a branch.

Oassen, cast off; as ** ctuten clothes."— Cassen-top, a top
thrown off with a string. The word is, probably, a corruption
of cagten^ the Sax. part, of cast.

•fCAST, a twist or contortion, a warp. V. Jamieson.

Cast, opportunity, chance; as a catt on the outside of a coach.

Cast, a swarm of bees. — Dur, Span, catta^ a race or breed.

Caster, or Castor, a little box; as pepper outer. Inserted
by Mr. Todd in his 2d, edit, of Johnson.

Cast-out, to quarrel or fall out. A Reverend Friend informs
me, that he heard a methodist preacher quote Joseph's advice
to his brethren — ** See that you cast not <mt by the way."

Cast-up, to upbraid, to reproach. Su.-Got, foercasta.

■Cast-up, to appear, or be found again, after having been lost. A
metaphor probably taken from the sea casting up things that
have been lost in it.

Catchy, disposed to take an undue advantage, inclined to cir-
cumvent.

Caterwauung, rambling or intriguing in the night. Adopted
from tlie well known practice of cats.

Cat-haws, the fruit of the white thorn. Perhaps so named
from catesy food, because they may be eaten as such by human
beings. "When large they are called buU'haws.

Cat-oallows, a game played by children. It consists of two
sticks placed upright, with one across, over which they leap
in turns.

Cat-mimt, nep. Nepeta cataria. Cats are said to have a re-
markable antipathy to this plant, tearing it up wherever they
meet with it.

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n QATR

Catraii^ or PicTwoBS^DiTcna, a Tiut fosse extencGng from die
Peel Fell in Northumberland, to Galashiels, a distance of 45
miles^supposed to have been raised by the fugitive Britons,
as a line of defence against the invading Saxons. Catrail, in
the British language, is said to mean, the partition of defence*

Cat's-foot, a common name for ground-ivy.

Cat-with-two-tails, a term for an earwig.

Cavd, cold. Teut. kaud. Moe^Got. kald. Sax. eeald. Dan.
katdd. ^ A caud hand and a warm heart." ^ Caud and com-
fortless, like kissing a ploughman wi' his mouth full of snaw.**

Caud Comfort, an unpleasant communication-— unwelcome, ti-

Caud Pie, a cart or waggon overthrown—- a disi^pcMntment or
lossof any sort.

When the axle tree of a loaden waggon breaks, and stops a
whole train of waggons on a railway, the workmen call it a
caudjpie. Brand,

Cave, or Eave, to separate ; as com from the short straw or
chafT. Teut. kaven^ eventilare paleas. This word, with the a
long, is used, I am told, in Northamptonshire, for the crack-
ing of the clods, or separation of the earth, in droughty wea^
ther; which is worth notice, as removing the objection to
Milton's " Grassy clods now calv'd.^P. L. Bock VII.

Cats, to toss, to paw; as a horse tiiat beats the ground with its
fore-foot In this sense the word seems allied to IsL aktfr^
cum impetu,vehementer.

Cavel, or Kavel, a lot, a share. Teut. kaoeL To Cast Ca-
VELS, to cast lots, to change situations. Teut. kavelen*

Cawkeb, the hind part of a horse's shoe sharpened, and pointed
downwards, to prevent the animal from slipping. Also an
iron plate put upon a Clog; which see. The etymology is
uncertain. V. Jam. cawkeri and Todd's John. caUein.

Chaffs, Chafts, the jaws, chops. Su.-Got. kiaeft^ kaeft, the
jaw-bone, seems the root. Ihsu kieft, the chops, and Swed.
^o/^r, jaws, are cognate.

Chalder, a chaldron— a measure of coals containing 3^ bush^;

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CHAR .65

' being nearly equal to t^o London chaldrons. Eight N^castle
chaldrons make a keel. Bishop Kennett derives the word
from old Latin celdra, a certain measure.

Chamberlye, frequently pronounced Cheumeklet, urine.
Omitted by both Johnson and Todd, though found in a pas-
sage cited from Shakspeare under the word jorden.

Chance-bairn, a spurious child. There is a legal maxim-— bas-
tardus nullius est filius, aut filius populi.

Changeling, a term applied to a child of a peevish or malicious
-temper, or differing in looks from the rest of the femUy — from
a supposition of its having been changed, when an infant, by
the gipsies. The fairies of old have been represented to us as
famous for stealing the most beautiful and witty children, and
leaving in their places such as were either prodigiously ugly
and stupid, or mighty mischievously inclined.

Coangsr^wife, an itinerant apple-wcnnan, or dealer in earthen-
ware» who takes old clothes or rags in exchange for what she
sells. ** Cheap apples, wives ! Cheap apples, wives ! - Seek
out a' your aud rags, or aud shoes, or aud daise, to-day."—
Newc, Cry,

Channer, to scold, not loudly but constantly; to be incessantly
complaining. ^ She keeps channery channeringy all day long."
Sax. ceomariy obmurmurare. The word bears a remarkable
affinity to L*. and Gael, cannran, to mutter or grumble.

Chap, to knock, or rap; aa at the door. A Scotch term.
Probably the same as chop, which is sometimes used for, to
strike, or knock simply, though more generally for, to strike
with a cutting instrument.

Chap, Chep, a customer. From Sax. ceap, ceap-man^ Hence,

our word chapman, of which chap is an abbreviation.— Chap,

or Chep, is also a general term for a man; used either re-'

spectfully or contemptuously. In 'this sense it may be from

• Ital. capo— quasi caput. '

Chap-bread, cakes made of oatmeal and baked on a girdle. See
Agricultural Survey of Westmorland, p. 337.

CharE| t^. to stop, or turn. Sax. cyrran. Also to counterfeit.

K

Digitized by VjOOQIC

m OHAR

Chabb» «. a narrow stvaety lane, or alley. Peculiar to Newcaa-
tie, where there arp several; pardcularly on the Quaynide.
Sax. eerrej vis flexio, diverticuluin ; firom i^ran, to turn; a
chare being a turning from some superior street.

A laughable misunderstanding happened at our assizea
' some years ago, when one of the witnesses in a criminal trial
swore that ** he tam three tnen come out of ihejboi of a i^are.**"^
** Gentlemen oip the jury,'* exclaimed the learned judge,
« you must pay no regard to that man*s evidence; he must
be insane.** But Uie foreman, smiling, assured the judges
that they understood him veiy well; and that he spoke the
words of truth and sobemesSi— Flni md Anderson's Hutory iff
NewxuOetp, 30.

The late Lord Chancellor was bom in a ehare^fbot; and in a

facetious moment admitted it m court.
Chattebed, bruised. I once thought it a corruption of duOter^

ed; but am now dbposed to view it as allied to the Soots verb

to chat, to bruise, to macerate.
CiiATTBR-WATER, a term for tea. I suppose from old ladies

chtdUring or gossiping over it.

Whyles, o*er the wee bit cup an* platie.
They sip the scandal potion prettj.

Burnt t Ttoa Doge.

Cmwainit a glass of spirit and warm water. Not a bed meta-
phor. It is also in use in the South of Scotland. In Nor-
thumberhmd, as a poetical friend of mine observes.

No baigain's made, or money paid.
But over a canny cheerer.

Chbg, or Cheggi^b, to gnaw or champ a resisting substance.
Chepstbr, a common name for a starling. Stumtu vulgaris.
Chewed-bredb, a decorous term for a namelesa composition;

to describe which, many periphrastic phrases have been

adopted.
Chxjsl, a young fellow.— ^aTor^i. Sc. chkl, chkld.

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CHOP «y

OnnrrB, to mcoeei!, to accoinpliih any biuiiieM— 4o achieve.
Used by Chancer in this fonn. Br. chemr^ to master.

Childbr, children. The Saxon plural tenninatioB. In Pds^
grave it is spelled ckyldre,

CHitDEBKAss-DATy the fcast of the Holy Innocents. Pure
Saxon. This is a fesdvid of great antiquity. An apprehen-
noii is entertained by the superstitious that no undertaking
can prosper which is bqgun on that day of the week on which
it h»t fell.

Child's^fibst-tisit. The first time an infimt Tisits a ndghbour
or relation, it is presented witii tiu'ee things — salt, bread, and
an egg. This practice, which I do not find noticed either by
Bourne or by Brand, though not overiooked by my vi^nt
fiiend, Sir Cuthbert Sharp, is widely extended over tiie Nordi
of Eng^d.

Chmlat, a chimney. Cornish, UchmUa. IVyce.

Chimlat-pivce, a mantle-piece. — CmMLiiY-NEUK, the chimn^-
comer in a cottage—the fire-side.

Chip, to break or crack; said of an egg when the young bird
cracks the shell. Dut. kippen, to hatch or (fisdose.

Chip, or Bbother-chip, a person of the same trade; especially
a carpenter and such like. Probably not local.

Chibm, to chiip ; applied especially to tiie melancholy under-tone
ofa bird previous to a storm. It would seem to be derived fr«m
the Sax. eyrme, a clamour or noise. But Dr. Jamieson says,
the true origin is Belg. Itermen, to lament ; lamentaii, quiritari.
Kilian. The term is known among the &ncy tribe of eock^
fighters, In the sense of muttering an unpleasant noise.
" These cocks chirm good-by."

Chizzbl, a term for bran. See Bte-bootings.

CHOAK*i>Aifp, at Choke-damp, foul air in a collieiy— carbonic
add gas.

Choixbr, a doid>le dun. Also the loose flesh under a turkey-
codi's neck*«-a cock*s watdes. Sax. ceolr, guttur.

CHOPFiN€k>Boy, a stout bey. Dr. Johnson, dissatisfied with
Skinner^s definition o£hity, says, ** perhaps a greedy, hungry

Digitized by VjOOQIC

68 €HOU

'childy likely to live " which is certainly erroneous. -It seenra
to be a boy well fed; and may be traced to Germ, schoppeth

■ to feed, to fittten.

Chouls, or Jowls, the jaws. Sax. ceoku, fauces.

Ghoup, Gat-ghoup, a hip ; the firuit of the hedge brier, or wild
rose, Rvhui major.

Ghow, V, to chew, to masticate. Sax. ceowan. — Ghew, «. a
quid of tobacco.

Ghristian-horses, a nickname for sedan-chairmen.— i^Tifwc.

Ghristmas Eve. The country people have a notion that on this
evening oxen kneel in their stalls and moan. In boyhood I
was induced more than once to attend on the occasion; but,
whether for want of &ith, or neglect of the instructions given
me, I know not, — they would not do thdr duty.

Ghuck, a sea shell.— Ghucks, a game among girls ; played with
five of these shells, and sometimes with pebbles, called chuMt'
stanes,

Ghuckers, Double Ghuckers, potions of ardent spirits.
Terms well known among Northern Ropers. >

Ghuckle-headed, stupid, thick-headed. Y. Jam. Supp.

Churn, or Kern-supper, harvest home. See Mell-suppeb.

Ghurnel, an enlargement of the glands of the neck.

^Glao, to stick or adhere. Dan. kkeg, viscous, glutinous. In
Scotland it is used as a substantive, and in a metaphorical
sense. '* He has na dag to his tail ;" t. e. no incumbrance.

Glaggy, sticky, unctuous, clogging by adhesion.

Glaghah, Glaggum, treacle made hard by boiling. — Newe.
Galled in other places in the North, clag*candy, lad/s^taste,
slittery, tom-trot, treacle-ball, and toughy.

Glaise, Gl'yaise, the northern pronunciation of clothes.

Glaith, Gl'yaith, cloth. Sax. cla^, — Glaithing, Gl'yaith-
ing, clothing.

Glah, v. to castrate a bull or ram ; when the operation is per-
formed, not by excision, but by compression ; as is still prac-
tised in the emasculation of the hiunan race in Italy ; a savage
mutilation fit only for Mahometans. The word may be

Digitized by CjOOQIC

CLAR «9

referred to Gam. Jskmmen^ to pincb^ to squeeze. Swed,
Mdmma seems cognate. — Clam, «. an instrument used for the

. purpose of castration.

Clam, to starve, to be parched with thirst. Dut. Jdenmeth to
shrink up. Teut. klemmen^ stringere, coarctare*

-.-^ When my entrails
Were ckmm^d with keeping a perpetual fast.

MatHnger^ Rom, Actor,

In Lancashire it is clem. See Nixon's Prophesy, where that
mysterious half-ideot, is made to say, that if he went up to
(Henry Vllth's) Court, he should be clemmed; which proved
the case by an accident.

Clammersomb, Clamoubsohe, greedy, rapacious, contentiousf,
clamorous. Dan. klammer^om.

Clamp, «. a large fire made of underwood.

Clamp, v, to make a noise, to tread heavily in walking. . Dut.
kUmipen, Swed. klampig.

Clamps, pieces of iron placed at the ends of a fire>place.

Clamk, a blow or stroke that makes a noise. ** The door went
to with a dank,** Teut. klanck, clangor.

Clanker, a sound beating, a severe chastisement.

Clap, to touch gently, to fondle, to pat. ** dap his head."

Clap-bennv, Clap-bene, a request made to infants in the
nurse's arms, to clap their hands, as the only means they have
of expressing their prayers, or of signifying thdr desire of a
blessing. Isl. klappa, to dap, and ban, prayer.

Clapper, the tongue — a female weapon of great power and elo-
quence, especially in that part of rhetoric ** stirring the pas-
sions." In the quaint title of an old and rare English Poem,
in the Author's library, — ^^The Anatomie of a Woman's
Tongue," — ^it is divided into five parts—** a medicine, a poi-
son, a serpent, fire, and thunder."

Clart, to daub, to bemire, to foul. — Clarts, dirt or mire— in
short, any thing that defies.— Clarty, miry, dirty, wet, slip*
pery. V, Jam. dartysad dattie.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

70 CLA8

Clash, «.t<>go«np« to tdl tales. Getm.Maiichen,to^nitde.

Clash, «. an idle story, tittle tattie, yulgar talk.

Clash, «. to throw any thing carelessly or violently, to bong a
door. Germ, kiatschen^ to make a noise.

Clatter, to tell idle stories, to prattle. Teut. ilettem, conere-
pare.

Claut, to scratch or claw, to scrape together. V. Jam. claL

Clayer, Claweb, to climb up; mostly applied to children. It
would seem to be a corruption of cleaving or adhering, mixed
with the idea of climbing; though it may be satisfiictorily de-
duced from Teut. kkweren, scandere in subrectum.

Clater, to talk hat, or to little purpose. Germ, khjfer, garni-
lus.

Clateb, dorer. Sax. ciae/er, Dut. kkwer. The late Mr.
P^lge pronounces claver to be a corruption of pronimdation,
for clover; but it is more analogous to the etymology, «b4
Mr. Todd has shown that it is used by an author of good note
— Sandys.

Clatebs, din, wxsj talking, garrulities. Identical with Cush-

CLASH.

Clat-daubin, a custom in Cumberland, where the n^iUxmra
and friends of a new married couple assemble and don't sqia-
rate until they have erected them a cottage; something in the
style of the old British wattied dwellings, and not unlike the
plastered houses in Norfolk, erected by the workmen called
daubers. From the number of hands employed, the buil<tii^
is generally completed in a day. The company then rejoice
and make merry.

Cuban, entirely, completely. This sense is yet in use in the
North.

Clbck, Clock, |o batch. Isl. kleJIna, Su.-Got. kiaeckd, A
hen ffltting, or desirous of sitting on her eggs, is called a
Clbcker, or Clocxbr.

Clbck, Cleckin, the entire brood of chickens. Dan. Idukken.

Clbcxino, or Cloceing, the noise made by a brooding hen,
or when she is provoked. Isl. klak, clangor avium. In

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CLIN 71

Scotland ^ decking time b ae a cuaty tone,'* as ^iplied to

child-birth.

Clbed, to clothe.-^iVbrift. Probably from Sax. dathUm;^
though the pronundatioii is more consonant to Su^Got,
klaeda. Germ, kleiden, and Dan. klaeder, the other cog;nate
terms. — ^Cleedino, clothing, apparel.

Clbbt, a stay or support ; a term among carpenters*

Clket, Cuoot, CLUTEy the hoof of oxen or sheep. Grose has
eluveS) a Gmnb. term for the hooft of horses or cows; It
seems to have affinity to Su.-Got. Jd^ffwa^ to divide, and Ssx.
cleofiany to cleave.

Gleets, pieces of iron worn by countrymen on their shoes.

Cleg, the gad-fly ; very troublesome in hot weather, particalarly
to horses. Oettrtu otfis, Linn. Daa.ltiaeg.

Cleg, a clever person, an adept. Probably identical with Glbb ;
which see. Also a person difficult to get rid of--one who *
sticks like a cleg.

Clegnino, Cleaning, Cleansing, the after^birth of a cow.

Cleugh, Clocgh, a ravine, a valley between two predpitoos
banks, generally having a runner of water at the bottom«-*«
narrow glen. Sax. dough, fissura ad montis clivum* Dan.
fdqf, incisura, is radically the same. The old l^orm. or Fr.
doughf is a valley; whence, perhi^s, as^ conjectured by Mr.
Todd, the introduction of the word into Domesday Book.
The admirers of old ballads are familiar with the valiant ex-
ploits of our celebrated Northern outlaws, Adam Bell, Clym of
the Chugh, and 'William of Cloudeslee, whose skill in archery
rendered them formeriy as famous in tiie North of England,
as Robin Hood and his companions were in the midlaad
counties.

Clevebkxuhbt, a term of reproach; used ironically.

CucK, to snatdi hastily, to seize. Germ. kUcken, to throw;
or perhaps a contraction of Sax. gekeccan, i^prdiendere.
^ CKc^em-tn,*' the name of a place in Northumberland.

Cliftt, well managing, actively industrious, thrifty.

CuNO, to dry up, to consume, to waste. See C^ung.

Digitized, by VjOOQIC

72. CLIP'

CuPy to shear sheep. Dut A%9^.«— CtiPPOfa, a sheqt-sheift'-
ing.

Clish><;lash, Clish-ma-glater, idle discourse bandied about,
uninterrupted loquacity. — Cuck-glack, and Cutter-clat-
ter, are also used in the same sense.

Clock, the downy head of the dandelion in seed. They think
to count the hour by observing how many puffs it takes to dis-
sipate the seed. It is, of course, a mere childish amusement.

Cloffet, a slattern, a female dressed in a tawdry manner. The
nearest affinity I can trace is Isl. Jclqfay femora distendere.

Clog, a sort of shoe, the upper part of strong hide leather, and
the. sole of wood, plated with iron, often termed a cawker.
The fctfo of our Saxon ancestors.

Clointer, to make a noise with the feet. A person treading
heavily with shoes, shod with iron, is said to clointer.

Cloit, a clown or stupid fellow. Teut. kloete, homo obtusus.
The original idea is a mere \og*^loete, a pole or log.

Close, a confined street or entry-^something in the nature of a
chare. A narrow dirty street in Newcastle, wherdn the prin-
cipal inhabitants formerly lived, and in which the Mayor for
the time bdng stiJl resides during his Mayoralty, is called the
Close. The word seems origmally to have signified a bUnd
alley. Dut. kludge, clausura.

Cloud-berry, the ground mulberry, or mhu ckanusmorus, r. It
grows on high uncultivated hills and moors— on Cheviot,
plentifully — and probably received this name from its lofty
situation. The fruit is red, of an insipid taste. According
to Pennant, it is served as a dessert in the Highlands of Scot-
land.

Clouter, or Cix)wter, to work in a dirty manner, to perform
dirty work. Probably allied to Cloit; which see.

Clour, a small lump or swelling, caused by a blow or fall. Su.-
Got. kida, a bump, is apparently allied.

Clubbt, a youttiful game, something like Doddart ; which see.

Clud-nut, — quasi clubbed or dustered nut,— two nuts united
to each other.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

COAL 73

Cujvp, V. to strike, to cuff.^CmFPy «. a Mow, a cuff. Dr.

Jamieson conceives the word may have been retmned from the
. Iforthumbrian Danes. V. Jam. Supp.
Clump, a mass of any thing. Gem. klump, a clod,
CuxHFT, Clumpish, awkward, nnwiddy, misshapen*
CiAJVQy Cp. p. of cUngJ closed up or stopped ; shrivelled or

shrunk. Sax. gedungne. Clings in the latter sense, is used

by Shakspeare, in Macbeth.

If thou speak*8t fidse.
Upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive*
'Xm famine ctmg thee^

Clutbers, in heaps, clusters. Welsh, duder, a pile.

Coals. To caU over the coalSf to scrutinize a person's conduct,
to reprimand severely. An old expression, not yet disused.
It is generally supposed to refer to purgation by the ancient
ordeal of the burning ploughshare ; though I tliink its probable
orig^ is to be found in the rural sacrifice of BeUiem^ or
pauing ikrough Bait* Jire, a superstition, which, till of late
years, appears to have been kept up in the Fells and remote
parts of the North.

Coal-say, a fish. It is, I am informed, peculiar to the coast of
Northumberland and Durham.

CoALT, CoLET, a particular species of cur«dog— fiunous for saga-
city. Sc. coUie, t^e shepherd's dog. The word mig^t, at
first view, seem formed from the prevailing colour of these
animals, a great proportion of them being as black as a coal;
though I am inclined to consider it as radically the same with
Gael, culean, a grown whelp ; and Welsh, cdujyn, a little dog»

GoALT, CoLET, a contemptuous designation among the boys in
Newcastle for the lamp-lighter. Can it, in this sense, be allied
to Su.-Got. kd^ ignis ?

CoALY-sHANGiE, or CuLLT-sHANGEY, a vulgar exprcssion for a
riot or uproar. Y. Jam. coUie-^angie.

Coaly Tynb, a well-known and appropriate designation of the
river Tyne; evidently in reference to the coal.

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74 COB

For which, both &r and near, that place no less is &fii*d
Than India for her mines* Drayton' t PcHy-Motu

Cob, to pull the luur or ear, to strike, to thump.-— Cobbing, strik-
ing, thumping--a pumshment among children and workmen.

Cobbler's-Mondat, every Monday throughout the year — a re-
gular holiday among the scientific sons of St. Crispin. I am
told that it originated from the masters requiring the greater
part of this day to cut out the week's work for the ** gentle
craft.'*

Cobby, or Cowv, stout, hearty, lively; also tyrannical, head-
strong, or in too high spirits. The latter form, Mr. Todd
remarks, reminds one of cop, the head, as a probable etymon.

Coble, a peculiar kind of boat, very sharp in the bow, and flat
bottomed and square at the stem ; navigated with a lug saiL
Cobles are used on the North-east coast of England, by the
pilots and fishermen, who are extremely expert in dieir manage-
ment. A learned firiend hints that the origin of this word is
to be found in the ancient Welsh cwrwglcy or coracle— a boat
made of wicker-work and covered with leather. — Fr. corbeiOey
a basket* But we have the very term in Sax. cuople, navi-
cula; and, I may add, that AVelsh ceubal denotes a ferry-
boat.

Coble, or Cobble, a pebble or small stone^n some places a
large round one.

CoBLOAF, a crusty uneven loaf. Shakspeare applies the word
contemptuously to personal appearance, where Ajax calls
Thersites " a coblodf'* — TroUus and Crettida. A corrupdon,
Mr. Todd says, of cop ; a loaf with a large head.

CoB*START, the commencement of the process of cobbing.

Cockers, or Coggers, properly half-boots made of untanned
leather, or other stiff materials, and strapped under the shoe;
but old stockings without feet, used as gaiters by hedgers and
ploughmen, are often so called. Cockers occurs in Bishop
Hall's Satires. In Lancashire the word is often used for
stockings. There is a small place not &r from Bolton, called
Doff-Cocker, where, my firiend, Mr. Turner, informs me, it

Digitized by VjOOQIC

COD 7^

used to be the fliahion for the country people who came from
church or market to pull offthdr stockings and walk barefoot
home.

CocKET, or CoppET, pcTt, apisb. Sc. cocki/j vain, affecting airs
of importance. I find in Sherwood, ** to wax cocket^*

Cockle, or Cokle, to cry like a cock. — Cumberland,

CocKLER, one whose trade it is to take and sell cockles.

Cockling, cheerful. ^ A cockling person.'* There is a kindred
expression, ** to delight the cockles of the heart."

CocKMEDAiNTT, oue who U fiuical in dress or carriage.

CocK-PENNY, a customary present made to the schoolmaster at
Shrovetide by the boys, in some of the schools in the North,

• as an increase of salary. This used to be the season for
throwing at oocks, when that barbarous pastime was part of
the amusement of the scholars. The play-ground belonging
to the school was the place of diversion, and the master some-
dmes presided over the sport. Well might our inimitable ar-
tist, Hogarth, dkeft his satirical pencil to this " Stage of
Cruelty."

Cocks, a poenle game wiA the tough tufted stems of the rib-
wort plantain. V. Moor. It is kard heads in Leme»

Cob, CoDD, a pillow or cusUom Sax. codde, a bag. Isl. koddey
a pillow, Swed. kudde^ a cushion. Dr. Meyrick, Aniient

. Armour, Vol. IL p. 239, states that, abbut the close of Henry
the Seventh's time, was introduced an exceedingly gross and
indecent appendage to the taces, called a cod-piece; being an
artificial protuberance, placed just over the os pubis. It was
copied in armour, after having been first adopted in ordinary
dress, and, indeed, in this manner formed part of the costume
of every class^ from the sovereign to the lowest mechanic ;
and what is astonishing, mstead of shocking the delicacy of
society, spread over all the civilized part of Europe. The
eame author, in a subsequent page, remarks that Gayton
alludes to the custom of fools bdng provided with this
unseemly part of dress in a more remarkable manner than
other personal, when speaking of the decline of the stage in his

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76' CODD

Festivous notes upon Don Quixote, p. SfJIk, fie sajrs : ^ Ko
fboles with Harry codices agfpeute ;" an epithet which al-
ludes to the time of its introduction into England. So
Shakspeare, in King Lear, Act III. Sc. 13, makes the fool says
** Many, here's grace and a cod^piece^ that's a wise man and a
fool."

Coddle, to indulge with warmth^ to make mudi of; Old Fn
cadder, to bring up tenderly.

Coffin, a cinder bounding from the fire, sht^ied like a coffin,
and looked upon as an omen of death. There is another
sort of a difi^nt form, called a purse, which is thought to be
the presage of wealth.

Coo, a wooden dish, a milk pail. Welsh, cduc^, a bowl. V*
Tooke; according to whom, cog^ cag, and hg^ loreidenticaL

She set the cog upon her head.
An* she's gone singing hame !

BaUad of Ctmdenknowi*

CoGGUB, to move from nde to side so as to seem ready to be
overtumed. Germ, kitgelny to roll or tumble.

CoGGLT, unsteady, moving from aide to side, easily overturned.

Coke, to cry peccavL Ruddiman says, it is the sound whidi
cocks utter, especially when they are beaten, from which
Skinner is of opinion they have the name of cock. Dr. Jamieson
has to cry cok, to acknowledge that one is vanquished, which
he derives from O. Celt, coc, mechant, vile.

Coil, a lump on the head from a blow. It is also used to ex-
press a great stir, or tumult. In the Tempest, Shakiq»eare
uses the word in this latter sense; but *t mortal coil" in
Hamlet's Soliloquy, though quoted in Todd's Johnson as an
example, seems rather to mean the human body with the
muscles, tendons, blood-vessels, nerves, &c coiled around it.

CoiT, to throw. Hence, the rural game of coUs, or guoiU» The
word may be referred to Isl. kueita, violenter jactare.

Cold-fire, a fire, or rather fuel, made ready fi)r lighting.

Cole, to put into shape, to hollow out. Sc. coU, to cut, to clip.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

coo n

to cut any thing obliquely; which Dr. Jamdeson derives ttom
Su.-Got. hdloy yerticis ci^os abradera

CoLLETy butchers' meat. A term chiefly among children.

CouuMsciNQy conyersing secretly, plotting. Lat. cottoqm*

Goujop MoNDATy the day before Shrove Tuesday, on which it is
usual to have collops and eggs for dinner. The primitive cu»»
torn was to regale with ^jgs on slices or collops of fried bread,
which is now exchanged for bacon.

CoLT^AU^ an allowance of ale claimed as a perquisite by the
blacksmith on the first shoeing of a horse. Hence, a customary
eatertainme&t given by a person On entering into a new office^
is called ** shoeing the coU^ The first time a gentleman serves
on the Grand Jury he is called a cok. Shakspeare used this
word itt Jthe tease of what is now understood by the term
green^m.

Ay, that*s a eoft, indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his
horse. Merehma ^ Venke,

CcMB/or CouM, a confined valley, a sharp ridge. Sax. eomb,
vallis montibus utrinque obsita; and that probably from
British kumy or cwm^ any deep or h<^w place.

CoME-ovBR, to wheedle, to circumvent— to .overcome.

CoifB-THY«^WArs, CoifE-qrHV-WAYS-HiNKiE, conunon expresdoQS
for come forward; generally spoken to persons in great kind-
ness. In Drayton's Poly-olbion is a beautiful line :-*-

lYhile Aire to Calder calls, and bids her come her wayt,

CoMVDRTABLE, a covered passage-boat on die river Tyne, so
called fix)m its containing superior accommodations to ** Jemmy
Joneson's Whnrry;" but little patronized since the introduc*
taon <^ steam-^Mickets.

CoMMOTHBR, a godmother. Fr. commelre. V. Todd's John.

Con, Conn, a sqnirrel.-<-Comd. and West. Swed. konu

Con, to fillip. Also to calculate, to consider.

Coo, Cow, V. to infomzdate, to keep in subjection. Isl. kuga,
adigere. Swed. kufwa, to\sui^re88, to keep under«^CoosD,

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78 COO

• CoWED^ daunted, dastardly, tfnud»

England was coweeL^^O^Driscots Hist, Ireland,

Coo, Cow, t. fear, mtimidation. ^'He's ttnn the coo"-^e's

afraid, he has acted cowardly .«^2>ttr«
Cook, to disapp<Hnt, to punish, to manage so as to obtain one's
< end, to circumvent. Ital. cuocere, to grieve, to vex.
CooM, the dust and scrapings of wood, produced in sawing. . Sc.

coom, the dust ci coal. Germ, kuntmerf rubbtsh, seems the

origin.
Coop-cart, a cart enclosed with boards. Dr. Jamieson refers

to Teut. huypty a large vessel for containing liquids. But see

COUP-CABT.

CoppiE, a dram. Sox. eop, IlaL coppo^ a ci^ or drinkii^
vessel.

Cop^wEB, a cobw^. The pure Sax;o& root is here preserved.
See Attercop.

CoPT-CRRisTY, a corruption of Corpus^ChristL ** Copy-<^hristy
day"— *^ Copy-diristy &ir«" Brand gives some curious parti-
culars concerning the Corpus-Christi Piays, or Miracle Plays,
anciently perfonaed by the trading companies i3^ Newcastle
y. Hist, of Newc. Vol. II. p. 369 & seq.

CoRBT, the raven. Le corbeau. Buffon. Corvus e^rax. Linn.
The carrion crow f corvus cor<meJ is also, I find, caHed a cor-
by, or corby-crow. ....

Corf, a large wicker-work basket, used for drawing coals out of
the pits; made of strong hazel rods from one4ialf to one inch
in diameter, called corf-rodi. Dut korf, a basket, Isl, koerfi
Dan. Arurv. .

CoRNEY, half tipsey. The allusion it obvious enough. . .

CoRN-CRAKS, the landrail, or daker hen, which visits us in the
spring, and leaves us the latter end of October. • Ralltu crea.
It derives the name of ctake, from its loud and incessant,
creaking harsh note, resembling that word.

CoRN-LAiTERS, newly-macried pea^nts who beg coru to sow thdr
first orop with.— -Cum^. In some parts of Wales, it is cjustomaiy

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COUB 79

fer poor women newly married to ask for cheeae. V. Owen's

Welah Diet. vo. cawta.

CoBPSE-CANDLE, a thick candle, placed in a candlestick of a pecu-
liar form — ^used f(mnerly at lake^wake*. The Rev. W. N»
Darnell has one of these candlesticks.

Cosby, Cozib, snug, warm, sheltered ; implying a feeling of com-
fort, attended with satisfection and delight. Fr. cozzL Y. Le
Roox.

Cot, a small bed or cradle. Or. Ki/rv, a bed. Old Fr. coUe,

CoTTBD, CoLTEBED, CSlotted, entangled, matted together. The
word is nsuaUy applied to hair or wool, as kamkled is to silk,
thread, worsted, &c.

Cotterels, cash. ** The loss o' the cotterels aw dinna r^gaird."

CoTTERiii, a small iron wedge for securing a bolt*

CouL^ Cowl, to scrape together dung, mud, dirt. &c. Fr.
cueSler. Ital. cogRere, to gather or bring together.— CouL-
RAKE, Cowl-bake, the instrument by which this is .performed.
In the Promptorium Plarvulorum sive Clericorum, it is written
colrake. This term is also used for a fire^ron, in which sense
it is more properly a coo^rake.

CoiTNGE, a laige lump; as of bread or cheese.

Country-side, the common term for a district, or tract of
country.

Coup, to empty by overturning, to overset, to tumble over.

* Swed. guppa, to tilt up.

Coup, Cowp, or Cope, to barter or exchange. Su^€rot. koepa.
To chop in the South. * *' Always chopping and chafing.**
So in nautical language, ** the wind chopped round."

Coup-cart, a short team-^ cart that is capable of being couped,
or turned up to be emptied; the ^ long cart" not being so.

CoupER'-PAiR, a market held at Kirby-Stephen, the day before
Brough-jiill; where the phrase, ** belter for hdter," implies a
proposal to barter or exchange horse for horse.

CouR, Cower, to stoop low, to crouch. down by bending the
hams. Sn.-Goti kure, ^ Couring o'er the heartii stone."

CouRTAiMi^ or CuRTAiNB,a souill couTt attached to a house. In
the South, a curiUage.

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80 COUT

QHirasRy to ems&itt. AlUed periiaps to Omnna; wliidi ace.

Ck>YE, a cavern, a cave. IsL kofe. Sax. erfcm Sc cove,

Ck^wET^ or CowED-cow, a cow without horns. Sudi an antmal
i8.also.8aid tobec9if»<ii \. Jem, coU^und caw,

CowET, Cow-FOOTEDy club-footecL— Dfir. See Agow.

Cows; or GowK| to reacL ineffectually^ to threaten^to vomit.
Germ, kochen,

Cow-ucK, the same as Calf*uck; which see.

Cow-paw'd, left handed, awkward, clumsy.

Cow-plat, the dung of a cow, as it drops in a small heap. Dr.
Jamieson say^ perhaps from Teut. jpfa^, planus, because of its
flat form. In Cheshire it is called cow shot or cow plague,

CowHSHABEN, the leavings of the cow. Sax. tceam. Dung in
Teutonic, is iham, and in Suio-Gothic, tkam. We have also
Shar-hudj an old word for a beetle ; supposed to be so called
from its bong continually found under horse or cow dung. It
will probably astonish some of my South country readers
when I inform them that fresh oow-sharen is occasionally i^
pKied, as a cooling poultice, to the &ces of young damsels in
Northumberland, if over flushed with any cutaneous eruption.

Moreover, they say that bull's Sterne is an excellent com-
plexion forsooth, to set a fresh rosat or vermilion colour in
the baU of the cheeke^HoUand't PRme, VoL IL p. 327.

CowsTROPPLB, a cowslip; t. e, cowU tkropple^ or throat— look-
ing deeper than the cow's lip, Hurdis lodes iieeper still.
The cowidip^ he says,. '* hangs its head to hide a bleecBng
heart'*

Cow-WA, often pronounced like Q*uay, come away !

CoTSTBUi, a raw inexperienced lad; a contemptible fellow.
From kettrd, or coysirel, a bastard hawk.

He's a coward and a coffttril that will not drink to my niecCi

Skak, TwdJ^N^ihL

Crack, v. to brag or boast of any thing. Dut kraakpi.

Ethiops of then? sweet con^xion cnMsJt.

Shak. Uve't JM* Lost,

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CRAM 81

GftACK^ 0. diat^ cmivra atkm^ news. ^Whftlfs your eraehP
Probably, Dr. JaaiieBOB says, from crack as denotiog a quick .
and diarp aouad. A eorrespondent refers me to Germ.
kracken^ to efackle, as green wood in tftie fire, from die confus-
ed novo of ehatterers.

Ceacs, s. most excellent of its kind — liuit of wldcfa one mi^ brag
or boast. ^* The crack of &ncy breedin.''

Cracker, a small baling disb. Also a small water biscuit of
fine flour.

Cracker, a piece of ^ass slwped like a pear, and wbidi, wben
the spnall end is broken ofl; flies into a thousand pieces;
toallfid by the glassmm, gtfaets.

Honour's like that ghuy bubble

That gives philosophers such trouble^

Whose least p^ crfickt the whole does fly^

And wits are crackt to find put why* ffudSbnu,

Cr4£SBV« a low stool. V. Todd's John, crickei, 8d senses

Cra€KS, an act of superiority. ^ FU set your cracktP Also
news. '^Wliat^jfm&itodayi^'

Cradden, or Crawden, to betray cowardice, to show die white
feather. V. Todd's John, craven,

Craddenlt, or Crawdenlt, recreant-like, fidnt-h^arted, pusilla-
mmous.

C^a, a lou^ steep rock. A pure British w(^ The Cddc
craig is also a rock.

Crai6, the oid, and still the vulgar w<M*d for l&e throat— some-
times the neck. Su.-Got. krage^ the neck.

They are oUiged to 6^j the law, and keepe the peace all
the dayes of their life, upon the perill of their craiggetp

King ^amef Dutie of a King.

Cram, to stuff with ^sehood ; in other language, to ^ pull a long
bow." — CRASOfER, a story without the slightest foundation.

Cramblb, to walk feebly and slowly; or, as a valuable correspond-
ent esplains it, widi a sti£^ short, and confined motion.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

8S CRAM

CBAMB|<r» CrajoceixT} weak, hme, or tender in the 1^. ^ The
horsf goes rather crammeUy this morning."

Crami^ to mend by uniting ; as joining hrokon china, or wooden
bow|p.-- CRAMBEy the operator; generally a^w, or travelling
link^. A learned friend derives the word from Fr. eranf a notch.
The Academie define it *' entaillure en corps durs, pour ac«
croofier quelque chose." It is always to be remarked that the
nas^ sound of the French confounds n and m, so that in oral
langfiage (where the nasal is dropped as English mouths soon
do) 4ie ft or ff» is assumed indifferently.

Cramp, to contract, to crumple, to pucker. Teut. krampen.

CRANcn, to crush a hard substance between the teeth. Coarse
—or as it is more generally called — around sand, thrown upon
the floor, is said to cranch under the feet. Perhaps there is
something of imitative sound in the term. S<Hne of our poets
speak of dry snow " crunching* under the feet. The French
have a phrase, grincer let dents.

Crank, to make a harsh noise, to creek. ^ The door cranh?*

Cranklb, weak, shattered. Teut. krank, Dut. kfonck, sick.

Cranks, two or more rows of iron crooks in a frame, used as a
toaster. ,

Cranky, s. a cant name for a pitman* That man in the village,

. who is most conspicuous for dress, or who excels the rest of
the villagers in the sports and pastimes held in esdmation
amongst them, is also, by way of pre-eminence, called the
Cranky, •^^Dur. and North.

Cra2!(KY, a. sprightly, exulting, jocose. Serenius refers it to the
W. Groth. krangcTy bold, daring. Crankt is also used in the
opposite sense of, ailing, sickly; from Dut. kranck, sick.
There is a conmion expression, ** crazy and cranky'*

Cranky, checked; as a cranky neckcloth, a cranky apron.

Crate, a sort of basket made rectangularly of strong, upright
rods inserted into cross pieces, and forming an open-work aide,
for packing glass and pottery ware. Lat. cratesm

Craw, a crow. Sex. craw. Dan. crage.

Cree, to bruise wheat or barley with a wooden pestle in a stone

Digitized by VjiOOQlC

ORIS 83

trough until the husks fidl oS^ and it becomes 19 a fit state for
fiiunenty.

Creepers, an uneasj sensation, to which, I am told, the lower
class of people are subject. It seems to b^ what, among the
gentry, is called the fidgets.

Crkii^ or Creel, a kind of semi-Ksrcular be|ket of wicker work,
in ¥^ch provender is coried to sheq) in remote pastures, or
on the mountains, during the distress of a snow storm. Its
ddes are stiff, and its bottom supple, serving for hinges. This
is called a iheep creil, and is strapped oyer a man's shoulders.
Baskets for fish and ^ggs, pens for f)oultry, arid wicker utensils
for various other purposes, are 9IS0 called creiis^ in Newcastle
and the neighbourhood. Gad. criol^ a chest, a cofo. Su«-
Crol, ktierlf a vessel, is apparently allied.

CsEUM^ placed or packed jo a creil; as poultry or ^ggs.

Crib, a dUld's bed. Now in Todd's Johnson.

CRDfBU^f -m'-poKB^^ fly fix)m an agreement, to act cowardly.
I am unable furtiier to explain it.

Crine, to pine, to shrink, to shrivel. The word is of Celtic
ongia* Welsh krino, Irish krionam, to wither. Gael, crionamj
to grow less. 1

Crinkus, to wrinkle, to bend under a load. Swed. skiynkku

Cris-cross, tiie mark or signature of those who cannot write.
It was the method of our Saxon ancestors, whether they
could write or not, to affix the dgn of the cross. An inability
to writer a cross being made in. its stead, is honestly avowed
by Caedwalla, a Saxon king, at the end of one of his charters.
v. Sddeni Jani Anglorum Fac. alt. 1. i. §. 42. This is not
a solitary instance of a potentate's ignorance of one of the
most usefol acquisitions of mankind; for, according to Pro-
copius, the Emperor Justin in the East; and Theodoric king
of the Groths in Italy, were both so illiterate as to be unable
to write. Since these dark and babarous ages, there has in-
deed been a rapid march /

Cris-cross-row, Chritt-'ero89»raw, a provincial term for the
alphabet; so called because a cross was placed at its begin-
ning— + A, B, C, &c.

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84 GROA

CBOAEJim-smMM, a cant Ditme f» NorUmalbeHaiid^ id whidi
Newcastle may be included,-*- firom a peculiar croakiDg in the
pronunciation of the inhabitants^

CaocKy to grow little in bulk, to suifet decay fixnni^. Hence,
on old ewe is in some places called a er^dk. So is under kmr
in the heck. 6ii<»Got. kraek^ aniniel quodvis exigmim, pee*
sents a satisfiu^ry etymology.

CaooK, a disease in sheep; causing the neck to be cracked.

Croopt, Cboupt, hoarse* Isl, hropa^ damaife. MiB«-Got.
hropjan,

CaoppEif, paH pa. crept^— GaoFFmr togethbr, beat with age.

Caoss*ORAiNED, tcsty, iU-tempered. Significant enou^.

Cftdss-THS-BCCKiB, Gboss-oweb-vhb-buckle^ a peculiai" and
difficult step in dancing, practised in humble ISS^-^Kewc. To
do it well is considered a great accomplishments Since thd
publication of my first edition, I find fix>m the Irish Fairy
L^ends, that there is an Hibenuan step called cover iha
buckle*

Grousb, or GaowsB, nierry, bri^ tivdy^ ^ As er&wse as a nfftr
washen louse.'^i«-0&/.ProoCT^

Growdy, a mess of oatmeal — a genuine Northumbrian dish;
especially when prepared and eaien, according to the approf>*
ed receipt of my Reverend Friend^ the Author of ** Metres,
addressed to the Lovers of Truth," &c* See his admirable
directions p. 213, 2d* edit. The word, as Dr. Jamieson has
shown, is very ancient, and dakns affinity with a variety of
similar terms in other languages. It may have been adopted
by us from coirody (Lat. corrodium) an allowance c^meat^-«
sort oiw^Ulc gaU in a Monastery.

Crowdiel ance; crowdie! twice;
Crawdk! three times in a day :
An* ye crowdie! ony mair,
Ye'll crowdie! a* my meal away.

Old Scmyi SaUad,

GaowBT-HAiN, a riotous assembly— « cock^igbt^a crowded
mixture. For main, see Tooke, Vol, IL p, 3874

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GRUL 9»

OB!OWLBt's<aaBWf ions of ValcaU attadied to ^be extaunre
iron^WDikSy at Winlaton and Swaiwdl^ in die yidiuty of New-
castle, established about the year 1690» by Sir Ambfoee
Ckowley, who is ridiculed in Ko. 299 of The Spectator (under
die name of Sir John Anvil,) as ^ a person of no eztmcdon^
iiaYing begun the world with a smaU parcel of maty iron.'*
The Knighty however, appears to have been a very worthy
chancter; and instituted an excellent, thou^ peculiar^ cod0
of laws for the government of his workmen.

Crown, to hold an inquest on a dead body.— •Ciiowmbb, the
Tulgar, though ancient, word for coroner. This office is of
great antiquity, mention being made of it in King Athelstan's
charter to Beverley, anno 9^. It was once filled by persons
of high station; and seems peculiar to the English^

Crud, v. to ctffdle. — Cbud, s. a curd. " Cmds and cream."

Cbuddlb, to cof^ulate, to congeal; for which curdie is now
used; though we have the authority of Spenser and other
ancient writers in favour of the vernacular pronundation*

Cbhudle, to crowd together, to keep close. Mr. Wilbraham
has Crewdle, or Croodlb, to crouch together like fijghtened
chickens on the sight of a bird of prey.

CBmcK-Tt>B4aA6Wi crook your eibow, attest it, aflBrm it to be
true. Perfacq^B from the Scotch mode of holding up the hand
when taking an oath.

CBtricK-YoiuBOUQii^ crook your koughf sit down — a friendly in<^
vitation*-« right hearty welcome.

Wiv huz i* the North, when aw*m wairsh i' my way,
(But t' knaw wor warm hearts ye yor-sell come,)

Aw lift the first latch, and baith man and dame say,
Crukk yor houghy canny man, for ye're welcome.

Song, Carmy Newcatteh

Cbuick^tob^humb, crook your thumb, a charm against witches,

CbuU^ Cruus, v. to work with worsted. See Cbuixs, Cbulbs,

Cbuixs, Crules, worsted of various colours^— crewel. Hie

term is now chiefly confined to what is used by iemalea in

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89 CRUM

learning embroidery bf the working of dveir sainplen at
school. Lexicographers seem not to have understood die
meaning of the word. One of the commentators on Shak-
speare^quite ignorant of its sense^mig^t have spared his remarks.

Crummel^ a crumb ; conformable to Germ. krummeL

Crummy, a. crooked. Isl. krunme. Su.-Got. and Dan. krum.

Crummy, «. a &vourite name for a cow with crooked horns.

Crummy, in good case, getting &t — quasi crumby^ one who
** picks up his crumbs."

Crump, hard, brittle, crumblmg; as In^ead Gt cake of that qua-
lity. Sax. acruman, in micas frangere. Hence crumpets.

Crunb, to bellow like a disquiet ox. — Crunino, the cry of the
beast; being the genuine Saxon word to denote that vodfe-
ration, and which is still preserved in Dut. kreuneuy to groan.
The term cruning is also frequently applied to the cowardly
and petted roaring of a disappointed child. In The Gentle
Shepherd, crune is used in the sense of a lowly mustered in?
cantation.

She can o*ercast the night and cloud the moon,
Atad mak the deils obedient to her crune.

Crut, a dwarf, the smallest of a brood or Utter— any tiling
curbed in its growth. Fr. court, short ; interchanging the r and
«, as is so frequent. The Armorican name conveys a similar
idea; crot, according to Bullet, being a little child. Isl.
hroia, effistum animal decrepitae aetatis, is nearly allied. /
Cruttlb, a crumb, a broken piece or small fragment*
CuckooVmaiden, a northern name for the wryneck {Tunx
Torquilla) which usually arrives here a few days before the
appearance of the cuckoo. The two birds are often found
together; probably as agredng in the same taste of food.
Though called the cuckoo's attendant and provider, it is far
from following it with a friendly intent : it only pursues as an
insulter, or to warn its little companions of the cud&oo's de-
predations. See Mr. Fox's Synopos of the Newcastle Mu-
seum, p. 59. .

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CULL 87

CtJ9DLBy «. to tembtacey to squee^, to hug. Teut. kudderL^-^
CuDi>i3, «. an embrace, a squeeze, a hug. See the songs of
7%e Pitman's Courtship^ and The Lea Rig,

CuPDT^ an abbreviation of Cuthbert ; a very common .Christian
name in the North ; in honour, perhaps, of our Patron Saint.

CuDDT, or Cuddy-ass, a common name for that very useful and
much enduring quadruped — the ass. It might seem to have
received this designation from Teut. kudde^ grex; though it is
probably only the fiuniliar appellation of Cuthbert. In Nor-
folk and Sufiblkthe term is Dicky; in Cheshire Neddy; and
in other places Jachy^ or Jack'Ots, But Dr. Jamieson says,
'* this word is most probably of oriental origin, and may have
been imported by the Gypsies, this bdng their &vourite qua-
druped. Vers, gudda signifies an ass; and I am informed
that Ghudda has the same signification in Hindostanee."

CDBBYs'-iiEOs, a barbarous unmeaning.term for large herrings;
peculiar to the Newcastle fish market.

CuiFF, to walk in an awkward manner; especially with large
broad feet.

Cull, «. a fool, a stupid person, a cully. Ital. coglione, a fool.
*' Thou'rt a cuUf* is often used by a Northumbrian to cheat
the devil of his due, by avoiding a denunciation of a more un-
seemly character*

CuLL^ a. silly, simple, foolish. " A ctdl person" — '* a cuU let-
ter." Mr. Surtees has published the following firagment of a
genuine Sandhill ballad, relating to the troublesome times of
Charles I.—
Bide through Sandgate both up and down,
There you*ll see the gallants fighting for the crown,
All the cuU cuckolds in Sunderland town.
With all the bonny blewcaps, cannot pull them. down.

The blewcaps did, however, at last succeed in pulling them
down; for, after a most gallant defence, Newcastle was
stormed-on the 19th of October, 1644, and entered by the
IVhite Fryer Tower and Sandgate. V. Bist. Dur. Vol. L p.
257.

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88 OUMM

GfnmiDyfMuf fM. ofcome. Tl^proviiieUiiniibofloiigitttiict*

ing. V, Jam. cumtL
CuN, to learn, to know. Sax. ctinnan^ Teut. kwmen, Genn.

konnen, Cunmng, knowing, skilful, may evidently bd traced

to this origin.
CoK, to express a sense of obligation, to fed gratefbl. ^ I eun

you nae thanks " I do not acknowledge myself obliged to you.

Similar to die Frendi phrase Mpaooir grS,
CuNDT, a small sewer or shore, a condtat,
CvR, a disrespectful term fi>r a man. ^ Jl ketty curP WL^ee^ rHe

person.

What wpuld ye have, ye curs.'-'-Shak. Coriokmut.

Curfew, the evening bdl. Old Fr. emre^fgu, or emn^^fm;
now changed into coux>refeu. It has been generally vaipgosed.

■ by histoHaas and law writers, >Uiat the regulation of the cur-
few-bell, by which every inhabitant of England was obliged to
texdnguish his fine at 8 o'clock in the evening, originated with
'William the Conqueror, and that the measure was imposed
upon his new subjects as a badge of servitude. Hiere is,
however, no foundation for this opinion. On the contrary,

^ wAdent evidence exists that the same custom previuied in
most of the monasteries and towns in the yordk c£ Europe,
before the arrival of our Norman visitor. The law was in«
tended as a precaution i^gainst conflagrations, which, when so
many houses were bu3t of wood, were veiy frequent and fittal.
See Lord Lyttelton's Hist. Henry II. 8vo. Vol.- 1, p. 433;
Warton's Essay on Pope, VoL I. p. 22; and Henry's Hist
Brit. 4to. Vol. IIL p. 567. See also Lacombe Diet, dii vieux
Lang. Fran;, vo. couvrefeu. The purpose, as well as the
name of the curfew-bell, is still retfdnedm Newcastle; where
it Is rui3g at the ori^al time— eig^ o'qlodc at mghl;.

CintN-BEBRiEs, currants. CBi7REr-iLiPB*ci«tN-iiratRijBa, the New-
castle cry for currants ; u c* currants as big as cherries.

Cushat, the ring dove, or wild pigeogo. Cofumbn Fmbaahui,
Major Moor is dbposed to derive this pretty word.^som

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CoocAai ; that is, eoomg and chattering ; but I have litde doubt
the trae etymology is Sax. cutceaie, from cute, chaste-— in al-
lusion to the conjugal fidelity of the bird. Among the Greeks
and Latins the dove— <ledicated to Venus Urania — ^was the
emblem of pure love : the chaste Daphne was purity personi-
fied. OusHT-DoWy is another of the popular names of this
bird. See Peb*wit.

CusHT-<)0Wy a cow. Perhaps from the word ciuhy being used to
sooth that animal. But what is cushy? Has it any connec-
tion with Su.-Got. ktuka, to soodi by fair speeches?

CosHT-cow-iiADT, a bcautifiil little scarlet beetle, with bhick
spots; sometimes called Ladi/'Bird, Coccinella.

CusT, CussBN, preterite of cast. Very common.

Cut, a quantity of yam, twelve of which make what is called a
hank, tiie same as skein in the South.

Cute, quick, intelligent, sly, cunning, clever. Generally thought

. to be an abbreviation o£ acute; but, in all probability, direct
fix>m Sax. cuth, expertus.

CuTEs, KuTEs, the feet. Sc. cute, cuitt, the ankle.

Cutter, to fondle, to make much of. Sc. couth, couthy, loving,
affectionate.

Guttering, the cooing of a pigeon. Also applied to private or
secret conversation. Dut. kouten,

CuTTT, $. a knife. Obviously from Fr. couteau.

CuTTT, a. small, diminutive. Perhaps from the verb to cut;
though I feel much indined to trace it to Gael, cutach^ short.

CuTTr«euN, a fiuniliar term for a short tobacco pipe.

D.

'D, ah abbreviation for it, after a verb; thus-— ^' mind ye dinna

spill'd.*'
Dad, v. to diake, to strike.— Dad, s. a blow, a thun>p. Teut.
. dodde, fustis.

N . .

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99 DAD

Dad, i. a large piece, a thick slice; as of bread or dieese.

Daddle, or Dawdlb, to walk unsteadily, to be slow in motion
or action, to saunter, or trifle. Mr. Todd refers to Isl. dudda^
to be slow footed. I may add Genu. tanAdn, to totter, to

. loiter*

Daddy, a childish name for &ther. The w^rd is said to have
been found in use among the South Americans, and the Afri-
cans of Angola. See Thomson, dad, dadda,

Daddy's^airn, a child resembling its father, not only in features
but in conduct.

Dadge, or Dodge, to walk in a slow clumsy manner.

Dadge, a large slice, a lump. The same as Dad.

Dafp, to daunt, to stun. Su.-Got. dofufa, to stujufy.

Dafflb, to betray loss of memory and mental faculty. Persons
growing old and in their dotage, are said to de^, and to be
dqfflers. In some parts of the North they have the vert>

' deafficy to become deaf; which seems allied. But see Dafp,
and Daft.

Daft, simple, foolish, stupid, insane. Su^Got daef, stupidus.
Ik^ occurs in Peirs Ploughman, Chaucer, &c.

The ae half of the warld thinks the other daJU^RedgaunOa.

Daftuke, having the appearance of folly, approaching to in-
sanity.

Dag, v. to drizzle.— Dag, «. a drizzling rain, dew upon the grass.
Isl. dauggy pluvia. Swed. dagg, dew.— Daggt, o. damp, wet.
** A daggy day.'* Swed. daggigy dewy.

Dag, an old North country word for a pistol — ^not a poniard, as
genoally supposed. Old Fr. dagge, a small gun. The term
dagger^ appears to have sprung out of this word ; because a
poniard was often attached to a dag, or pistol, as a bayonet now
is to a musket. I have the authority of Sir Walter Scott for
stating that, in Scotland that part of the cock of a gun which
holds the flint is still called die dag-head.

The Minor (siNew^CatOe with the Aldermen his Brethren
rid to visit on hors-backe the colepits, as their office is to do

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DARK »1

f vw J quatrer of jeer, where bj the waj he was ahoi with a
40^ into the arme^ which cauaed him to i^ off hia hene.«—
DoiefW Newetfiom JSdMur^, 4to. 1641.

DA6GBIHMONET9 a sum of money formerly paid to his Blajesty's
Justices of Assize on the Northern Curcuit, to provide arms,
and other security against maraaders. The Mayor of Kew«
castle sttil presents each judge with a piece of gold on his de-
parture for Carlisle.

The Northumberland SberifiP gave us all arms ; that is, a
dagger^ knife, penlmife, and torkf all together.— JVbrMV Lifi
of Lord Kteper Guilfird-

Daggle, to trail in the dirt^to draggle. — Daggled, dirtied by

walkings— 4raggled. See Dag; from which^ perhaps, dagg^

is originally derived.
Daiker, to wander, to /Saunter. '^ I was just daikering up

street."
Dainty, pleasant worthy, excellent. Isl. dmndis^ excellenter,

optimus. It also means, finically nice. ''The dmnty Mr.

Gray." — JohntorCi lAnes. ^

Dairns, a term for small, unmarketable fish.
Damage, cost, expense. ** Noo, Sir, ye*ve kirsea*d mi beinit

whatsit damaged
Da2(g, Dang it, a foolish evasion of an oath. V. Jennings.
Dabk, V, to listen with an insidious attention, to hearken ob-
scurely or unseen. Allied to the old verb, darky used by

Chaucer, Spenser, and other early writers.
Dabk, o. blind,— -Almost dark, nearly blind. — Quits dark,

stone blind. '' Pity a quite dark man.**
Darkening, the close of the day, evening twilight. Sax. deor-

cungy crepusculum.
Darn, to mend holes by chequering the threads in imitation of

the stuff. Welsh, dam, to patch. But see Todd's John.
Darnton, the old, and still the vulgar, name of Darlington.

He was in great danger to be robbed about Damion and
Neesum by thieves and highwaymen.— *Iie^<er qfBUhop Carifi.

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9St DARN

Darnion Trod, or Darnton Road, To take Damion l9ad;

' or Darnton Eoad, (tbat is, I suppose, the London road,) is to
adopt desperate measures, in order to avoid immediate conse-
quences — to fly the country for debt or crime.

Dash-kt-buttons, an imprecation. Y. Jam. Supp. dath.potu

Dauber, a plasterer. The ancient style of a branch of the fra-
ternity of bricklayers in Newcastle was Cotters and Ikmhen.
The cat was a piece of soft clay thrust in between the laths,
which were afterwards daubed or plastered.

Daurg, Darg, or Dabg, a day's work, either of men or husban-
dry cattle; as four daurg of mowing— four daurg of ploughing.
A daywere of land was anciently as much arable ground as
could be ploughed up in one day's work. Sax. dagy dies.

Datbr, to stun, to stupify. T^t. daveren, tremere. — ^Dayerbd,
benumbed, stupified. Isl. daitfr, &tuus, surdus.

Daw, to thrive, to mend, to recover from an illness. An old
English word. *' Dawyng^ gettynge of lyfe.*' Palsgrave.

Daw, to dawn. Sax. ditpgian, to grow light Teut. daghen.

The other side from whence the morning i

Draifton^ Pofy'<flbit^

Dawino, break of day— d^umtn^. Sax. dagung, aurora;

Dawdt, a slattern. Isl. dauda doppOy homundo ignavus.

Days-man, an arbitrator, or elected judge. An old word still in
use among the farmers. Dr. Hammond says, that the word
day, in all idioms, signifies judgment.

Dattaleman, a day labourer, chiefly in husbandry— one who
works by day-tale; t. e. a man whose labour is fo/tf or reckon-
ed by the day, not by the week or year. — ^Dattalework, the
work so performed.

Daze, to dazzle, to stupify, to frighten. Teut daeten^ delirare,
insanire. Sc. daese, or daite.

Dazed, blinded with splendour, astounded^ benumbed by frosty
stupified with liquor.

Dazed-meat, meat ill roasted. — Dazed-bread, bread not well
baked. See Deazed; which seems allied.

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DEAK 99

Dba]>-h6u5B^ a place for the receptioii of dromnei penons, -
Deaihknock, a sui^aed warniog of death. The sapenthious
imag^e they hear a myitterious noise upon the door or hed;
andy not knowing die cause, view it as a notification of die
decease of some relation.
Deadly Fevd, a ferocious contest among the wOd Northum-
brians on the Borders, where Saxon barbarism held its latest
possession. In those days, it is almost superfluous to remark,
there was no law in this part of the kingdom ; but the stronger
oppressed the weaker, and the whole country was litde better
than a den of thieves.

If any two be displeased, they expect no lawe, but bang it
out bravely, one and his kindred against the other, and his ;
they will subject themselves to no justice, but, in an inhumane
and barbarous manner, fight and kill one another ; they run
together in clangs (as they terme it) or names. This fighting
they call ttk&rftides, or deadfyjkidet,

GreyU Chon^raphia, 1649.

The most celebrated of our Border chiefs,

Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,

occasionally indulged in these sanguinary frays; with all the
** pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war;*' and after-
wards made truce, or final peace, with each other, with as
much formality — ^and as little sincerity — as actual. monarchs.

Dead-nip, a blue mark on the body; ascribed by the vulgar to
necromancy. V. Kilian, dood^nepe; and Jam. dede-mp.

Deaf. In the North, this adjective has a much more extennve
significadon than, wanting the sense of hearing. It means,
decayed generally, or deprived of the ordinary properties ; as
a *• detxf niUy* a nut of which the kernel is rotten ; ** deaf
com^^ barren or Uasted com. The latter tam-^-deaf com^ is
a pure Saxon expression.

1>eame, D Vame, or Dame, the matron or mistress of the house.
V. Note in Cumb. Ball. p. 65. See also Jennings.

Dean, Deanb, or Dene, properly a deUy or deep wooded valley

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94 DEAR

between two steep hik^ with ranning water at the bottom;
but applied to any hollow place where the ground' slopea on
both (ddesu Caatl^-Eden Dean, in the Cknuity of Durham^ is
a ravine of great extent, with the wildest and most luxuriant
scenery, requiring ** a poet's lip, or a painter^s qre," adequate-
ly to depict its bloauties. Sax. den, a cave or lurking place, a
▼alley.

Dbaiuknows, a scnrt of half fqppeal to God of the speaker's igno-
rance. Q,Dieuf

Dbarn, or Dern, solitary, londiy, meUnchofy. Pure Saxon.

Deavb, to deafen, to stupify with noise, to din. See I>avbe ;
which seems cognate.

Dbazed, withered, sapless, wanting moisture. As applied to the
weather, cold, raw, parching.

Dbbatkable-lands, large tracts of wild country, on the confines
of Northumberland, which so often caused the English bows
and the Scottish broad swords to be drawn, and, in more
modem times, were a continued source of feud and contention
among a variety of claimants. These t^ritories in ancient
records were called terra contentiosa. After the Unicm, they
received the name of di^mted ground, and were so inserted in
all but the last Map of Northumberland, louf; after they had

. ceased to be so. All disputes respecting them, so far as con-
cerned the houses of Percy and Douglasi were compromised,
under an arbitration, many years ago. Those on the marches
of Sir John Swinburne's estates, after a long and expensive
litigation, both in the English and Scotch courts, were settled
in his grandfiither's time.

Deed, our Northern word for dead. — A deed pig, all over with
any thing; as the squeaking when tipigis dead? Hiere is a
story of a late Alderman of Newcastle (whose discourse would
have added much to this collection) that, when Mayor, playing
at whist with Judge Buller, and having nine, and six tricks, he
called out in transport, ^* Noo, noo, canny Judge, play the
reet curd, and it's a deed pig /"

Deeds, the rublnsh of quarries or drains. Probably the dead or
unprofitable parts— mere dead stuff.

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DERW 95

Dbbi^ a familiar name in Northumberland for the prince of
ciaiknesB. Sc deil. See Ou>-BBNDrl

Debt, or Bight, to dress, to wipe or make dean, to sift or win-
now com. Sax. dihian, parare^ disponere. Sc dicht. See
Keelt-deeters.

Deft, pretty, neat, clever, handy. Sax. d^eft, idoneus. Stat-
ed in Todd*s John, to be obsolete; but it is not so in the
North.

Dbg, to moisten with water, to sprinkle. Sax. deagan, tingere.
IsL dgigry madidus, humidus. This word is used by Shak-
speare in the Tempest It is not in Nares' Glossary.

Delfs, pits out of which iron stone has been dug. Large quan-
tities of scoria or slag lie scattered on the Feils in the North
^supposed to be the remains of ore wrought by the Romans.
The smelting of metal, as practised by them in Britain, pre-
sents^ a 8ul:ject of curious investigation. Though iron has
been refined and manufactured uninterruptedly from this early
aefa, it does not appear, so fer as the author has been able to

• discover, that the melting or casting of steel has been introduc-
ed above a century ago.

DELL,a little dale, or narrow valley. Got. dal^ a cavern or deep
place.

Derwbntwatbr's (Lord) Lights, a popular name fi>r thai
wonderful phenomenon-^the Aurora Borealis; which ap-
peared remarkably vivid on die night of the unfortunate Earl's
execution ; so much so, indeed, that some of his more zealous
partisans ima^med they saw in this novel appearance, men
without Iheir heads. Many of the peasantry in Northumber-
land still believe, that, on that fetal day, Dilston Brook, a
rivulet near his rendence, ran with blood. Certain it is, that
of all the victims who poished in the rash enterprise of 1715,
none fell more lamented than the young and generous Der-
wentwater, whose memory is cherished and respected^ with all
the fondness of traditionary attachment, by the descendants of
those who experienced the bounty, and had the best means
of appTBciating die character, of their last unhappy lord. In

Digitized by VjOOQIC

d6 DESS

the year 1807» his body was discovered in the fimiily chapd
at Dilston, in a state of perfect preservation. The suture
round the neck, and the appearance of the corpse, agredng
exactly with the age of the deceased, removed every doubt of
its identity.

Dess, v. to lay close together, to pile up in order. Chaucer uses
deit^ for a seat, or rather the raised step for the high table of
the lord and his companions; and Spenser has des$e^ a desk
'or table ; from old Fr. dais.

Dess, v. to cut a section of hay from the stack. Dut. tassen^ to
gather.

Dess, s. the portion of a hay stack usually cut at one time.

Deuse, the Devil, or any evil spirit. Dmiut was the ancient
popular name among the Gauls for a kind of demon or spirit.
St. Austin makes mention of some of these dutU, which, for
impudicity, he compares to the Silvans, the Pans, and the
Fauns of old. They were properly incuifL V. Aug. de Civit.
Dei, lib. xv, c. S3. There is a German ballad by Goedie, on
the subject of the Deuses, who were in the Northern Mytho-
logy supposed to be demons of two classes, presiding over fire
and frost respectively. See a translation in the Monthly Mag.
Vol. VI. p. 197.

Devald, to cease. ** The pain devalded?* Su.-Got. dwala, to
delay.

Dickr-wiTH-HiM, all over with him. Said of a person who is
ruined or tiiwarted. So of states — actum est de repuUica.

Didder, to shiver with cold, to quiver. Teut. diddem.

DiFFicuLTER, more dfficult. A common comparative.

Dike, a hedge, or fence — that which is cf^ed',— whether a ditch,
or an embankment. Sax. die. Teut dijcky a^er.

Dike, in a coal mine, means a large crack or breach of the sofid
^ strata. A depdt for coals at the staith is also called a dyke,

DiKER, a hedger, or ditcher. Conformable to our old lexico-
graphy.

Dill, to soothe pain, to still, to calm. Ld. diUa^ lallare.

Ding, to push or drive, as well as^ to dash with violence. Sax.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

DIV 97

denegAn, to beat. Su.-Got. damga, tundere. Swed. danga
to bang.

Ding, a moderated imprecation. ** Ding it, but thou^s an ass.^'

Dnm-DowN, to overthrow. '^ Ding down the nests, and the
rooks will fly away,*' is a maxim that has been attributed to
the rough reformer, Knox. The saying gave an edge to the
fanatical rage of the Covenanters and Cameronians, in the
destruction of the architectural grandeur of the Romish church
in Scodand.

DiNM AN, or DiNMONT, a male sheep from the first to the second
shearing, when it becomes a wedder.

DiNNA, fbr do not. • Dhma ye speak on't."

BcmsL, or Dindlb, to be afiected with a prickling or shooting
psdn, as if of a tremulous short motion in the particles of one's
flesh ; such as arises from a blow, or is felt in the fingehi when
exposed to the fire after fit>st. Dut. inUeleny to tingle. V.
8ewd*s £ng. and Dut. Diet.

DtFNEss, depth. Sax. deopnjfsse, profntiditas.

DiRDOM, Dusntxif, a great noise, or uproar. Gael, dtatdan, an-
ger. Wdsh, dwrdd, a sound, a noise, a stir.

DiRL, V, to move round quickly. Sax. thirlian, perforare. Swed.
daHra, to vibrate, seems allied.

DntL, ff. to give a slight tremulous pain or stroke. — Dirl, «. the
sensation occasioned by a stroke of this description. Bums
tiaes tfie word, with considerable effect, in his Poem c^ Death
and Doctor Hornbook.

Disannul, to injure. * I never disannulled thy cow."

DiscFEst, digest. Common among the vulgar. It is used by
Beaumont and Fletcher, and several other old writers.

DiSHER, a person who makes wooden bowls or dishes.

DisH-FACED, hollow-faced— probably as resembling a dish.

Diet, rain. ** We'll have morie rfir*."— Dirty, wet; as dirty
weather.

Dirt-bird, a bird that sings on the approach of wet weather.
See RAifr^Bmns.

DiT, for do. Very common among the vulgar.

o

Digitized by VjOOQIC

m DIVE

BiVBT, or DiYOTj a turf, or sod.— iVbrM- Lat defodere^ to ^
in tib« euth. V. Jamieson.

DoBBT, a fool, a sillj old man. Sc. doiie, a dolt

DosvY, or DoBBiE, a spirit or demon. Doblnes appear to be of
4iffinrent kinds. Some— attached to particular bouses or
tons — are represented as good humoured in disposition, .and
(though naturally la^) in cases of trouble and difficulty, 4ffe
said to make incredible exertions for the advantage of the &•
mily; such as stacking all the hay, or housing the whole crop
of com in one night. Others — ^residing in low granges or
bams, or near antiquated towers or bridges — have a yery dif-
ferent character imputed to them. Among other pranks^ they
will sometimes jump behind a horseman, and compress him so
tightly, that he dther perishes before he can reach his home,
or falls into BoiAe lingering and direful malady. See WHlan.

DocKON, die dock. Rumex chttuifoUm, A charm is connected
with the medicinal application of this plant. If a person be
severely stung with a nettle, it is custon^ury to collect a &w
dock leaves, to spit on them, and then to rab the part afiect-
ed, repeating the incantation, ** In dockon,ot(^ nettle," till liie
violent smarting and inflammation subside. These words are
sfdd to have a similar effect with those expressed in the old
. Monkish adage, ** Exeat ortica, tibi sit periscelis amica;*' the
female garter bound about the part which has suffered, being
held a remedy equally efficacious. Mr. Wilbraham remarks
that, ** In dock, out nettle" is a kind of proverbial saying, ex-
pressive of inconstancy. This observation will contribute to
explidn an obscure passage in Chaucer's Troilus and Creseide^
B. IV. St. 66.

Thou biddest me I should love another

All freshly new, and let Creseide go,

It lithe nat in my power, leve brother.

And though I might, yet would I nat do so.

But canst thou plaien laket to and fro,

Nettie i», dock out, now this, now that, Fandare ?

Now foule fidl her for thy wo that care.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

DOG m

BaDD, to cut wool from and near the tails of sheep^ to trim theic
hind parts. — Doddings, thq cuttings, or trimmings. Hon^.to
lopi as a tree, is an old word. See Dodbbd^

DopiURT, a bent stick us^d in the game called doddart; whicE
19 played in a large lev^I field, by two parties of nearly balanced
powers, dther as to number or dexterity, headed by two cap-
tains who are ent^ed to choose thdr followers by alternate
vot«8. A piece yof globular wood, called an orr or coU^ is
thrown down ip the middle of the field, and the object of each

' side is to dri^e it to one of two opponte hedges assigned re*
spectively ^ore the game begins, as the aUey^ hmly goal, or
boundary*

DoiWBpy ;prithout horns; as dodded sheep. Said in the Craven

- Gh)s^ to be an abbreviation of doe-^ieaded. Our old lexico-
gny^Aiy^ however, militates against this opinion. Dodded^ ac-
^rding to Phillips, (New World of Words, fol. 1678,) is an
old word ibr " unhomed; also lopped as a tree, having the
branches cut off." ,

Dodder, or Dother, to shake» to tremble; to nod, as in the
palsy of decrepitude. — Doddered, or Dothsrbd, decaying
and shattered; as a doddered oak — stupid with age or iufir^*

. . mity. *^ An aud dothered karl."

DoDDERiNQ-DlCKiES, the quiveriug heads of the briza, or quaking

Doddle, to walk infirmly, to totter. See Todle, or Toddle»

Dodge, in the sense of, to jog, to incite.

DoDY, a corruption or diminutive of Greorge; originating in a
childish prpnundation of Georgee, by the common in&ntOe
substitution of d for g, and the not uncommon omission of r,
especially in Newcastle, when a broad vowel precedes.

Doff, to undress, to put off. From to do off. Not obsolete, as
Dr. Johnson thought. See Don.

Dog, a wooden utensil in the rude form of a dog, with iron
teeth for toasting bread. Also a piece of iron placed at each
end of the fire-place to keep up the fire; chiefly used where

. ' wood is burnt, and called in French chenet, fit>m ckien.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

IfiO DOG^L

DoG-LOFSyOr Doo*iifMJP» a namm skip of gnmnd between two
houses, the rig^t to wluefa is questionable— *tlM place thnragh
which a dog leaps,

DoFTBDy stupidy superannuated. Br. Johnson has doted, stupid ;
which he says is not used; but which is evidently the same as
this Northern word.

DoLBy V. to set out or allot ; applied to land. Sax. dalan to
divide. Sc« deal. In Cumh. a narrow plot of ground in a
oonunon field, set out by land-marks, is called a Dbaou

DoLB, $, a charitable gift or donation, a benefaction left to the
poor — any thing dbtributed or dealt out. Sax. dal, pars,
portio. In former times it was applied to the relief given to
the poor at the gates of great men, and to the bene&ctbns
delivered out by the almoner of religious houses. In the
county of Durham we have still FrankUtCs Dole, Cocken JDole,
and Brabanf* Dole, There is also the Widoufs Dole, distri-
buted once a month by the Hospital in Greatham, to twenty-
six poor persons or families residing in the place.

Dole, grief, sorrow, lamentation. Old Fr. dol. Mod. Fc deuU,
By no means obsolete, as stated in Todd's Johnson.

Don, to dress, to put on. An old word fix>m to do on— the con-
trary to dqf. Stated in Todd's Johnson to be obsolete; but
it is in common use in the North.

DoNCY, affectedly neat, accompanied widi the idea of self-im-
portance. Perhaps from don ; as like a dotmo, at domia,

DoNCH, or DoNSH, nice, dainty, particular ; as an fqppetite pam-

. pered by indulgence. I am unable to oflEer any satisfactory
etymology.

DoNK, damp, moist, humid. Su«-Got. dunken, muddus.

DoNNAT, or DoNNART, au idle, good for nothing person— « do--

. naught. In Cumberland it is viewed as equivalent to the
Devil. The tjerm has great verisimilitude to Dan. doegenight,
rendered by Wolff, an idle rascal or rogue.

DoosE, a blow. ^ J^ocu^i'-tbe^ops," a blow on the face.—
DoosEY, or DoosEY«CAP, a punishment among boys.

DosEN^, cold, shrivelled, benumbed. Cognate with Doxbnbd.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

DOWP }01

^ DoccB^ magy com&xtaklk^ neat, sweetJooking— jBppHed to s
beautifiil and attractive woman, lat^dukii* Ft, dome, jiouce.

DoDGHTBBy DouTERy the ▼i:dgar and ancient pronunciation of
daughter* Sax. and Qerm. dohter.

DoTOEy or Duck, to bathe. Sax. doucanu Dut. ducketu

DouKT, damp, humid, wet. ^ A dovJky morning."

]>oup, Dowp, dunes. Isi. dof» Ital. dopo, ** Aa fine as F**ty-
Poke's Wife, who dressed her dot^ with primroses," is a
Newcastle jcomparison of long standing, thou^ of little deli-
cacy.

DouB, sour looking, sullen. ** A dour countenance.*'

Douse, respectable, prudent. See Doucs ; which appears iden*
tical.

DouTsoMB, hesitating, uncertain as to the event— -doubtfuL

Dow, Doo, or Dough, a little cake. See Yule-dough.

DowLT, londy, dismal, melancholy, sorrowful, dolefuL ^ A
doudy place"—" a dowly lot." My fiiend, Mr. Baine, re&rs
me to Gr. itvki^v 1^fM^^. We have also the form of the word
in Fr. deuil, douleur; and Lat. doior.

Down-come, a &11 in the market — degradation in rank, or injury
in worldly circumstances --any other depresnon or downfal.

Down-dinner, tea, or any afternoon's repast— quasi done-dinnerf
the meal or refreshment which succeeds after dinner is done,
or over. It is a very common term among the lower classes
in the counties of Durham and Northumborland, and also in
the North Riding of Yorkshire.

Down-house, a country term for the back-kitchen.

DowN-LTiNo, the lady's confinement in her travail.

Down-pour, an excessively heavy fall of rain* V. Jam. Supp.

Down-sitting, a comfortable settlement; espedally in marriage*
^ A hinnies, she wed him just for a downrtUtmg** Newe^-mm
Said of a handsome young girl, who marries a rich old man |
where Plutus, not Hymen, is the presiding d^ty ; where it is
obvious that the lady loves the house and furniture as dearly
as she does her husband.

Dowp, a vulgar name for the carrion crow.

Digitizeal by VjOOQIC

lot BOWP

i>awFr, the snnUest and kstJiatt^ed of a breed o£ birds. Fronl^-
ItaL dopo; or, as an iogenioua friend will have it, from its
being always least feathered par arriewe^ See RiruNQy and
Wrbckung.

Doxr, a. sweetheart; but not in the equivocal sense naed by
Shakspeare, and other play writers* Fr» dmuMeU^

DoiassKDy spiritless, impotent, withered*-in a doze^

Drab and Norr, a game. Yark» The dnA is what is dsewhere
called a trippit > and the drah^itkk, a buck-stick. See Spell
AMD Ore, and Trippit and Corr.

Drabbl'd, Drabblb-tailbd, dirtied. See Daqolb, Daogled..

Draft, brewers' grains, with which cows and swine are fed.—
Teut. and Swed. drrf. Both Hanmer and Johnson have mis*
interpreted this Shakspearian word, and Archdeacon Naiea
hath perpetuated the error. In Dunbar^s singular perform-
ance, ^ The Testament of BIr. Andro Kennedy"~-rq>resentiBg

. the character of a drunken, graceless scholar — the &cetious
testator, after having conngned his soul to the wine-cellar,
orders his body to be laid

In ane draf-middhig for ever and ay.

Drape, a cow whose milk is dried up» Sax. drepen, to fail-^
having failed to give imlk. Drape sheqp, oves rcjiculs, credo
ah. A. S. drapCy expulsio, draped^ abactus. Skinner.

Draup, Dreap, to drawl, to speak slowly and monotonously.

Draw, for drawer ; and Draws, for drawers ; by the usual New-
castle mode of slurring the r.

Drawk, Drack, to saturate with water. Su.-Got. draenka, aqua
submergere.

JDrbap, to drench, to drop with wet. Sax. drypan^ to drip.«—

. Swed. drypa* So. dreip^

Dree, v. to suffer, to endure. Sax. dreogan, to undeigo«

He did great pyne and meikle sorrow dree. — Bon, ffdenore*

Dree, a. weary, long, tediously tiresome. *^ A dree road." The
word is i^parentFy a rapid pronunciation of Germ, durre^ dr^t

Digitized by VjOOQIC

DRUV 103

'. hodk in a physical and inetq)horical sense ; but see Janueson^

YO,dreich, where several ecmresponding terms in other languages

are enumerated. See also Wilbraham.
Dbbe, s, a sort of cart without wheels, drawn by one horse, used

by the £Einners in Northumberland, within the memory of old

people. This carriage is probably the same as the traga, traka^
. or sledge of Du -Cange. The sledge peculiar to Bristol ia^

called a draw.
Driblet, ** a small sum ; odd money in a sum.*'— Dr. J6hm<m>

It, however, means a small inconsiderable thing of any sort.
Drip, a north country term for stalactites, or petre&ctions.
DitiTB, to speak indistinctly; as it were through the nose, like

4K>untry children when they are learning to read.
DitONiNG, a lazy indolent mode of doing a thing. — Dromsh is a

very old word. Swed. droetiig, dull, sluggish.
Dbop-drt, water-tight ; said of a building well secured in the roof.
Drought, a team or draught of horses in a cart or waggon^ both

collectively taken.
Drouk, to drench, to aoak, to besmear. Fr. druger, to wet

thoroughly.
Drouth, thirst, dryness. The old form of drought; which was

also written dryth and drith. V. Tooke, Vol. II. p. 413, 414.

Droutht, thirsty. " To mobten his drouthy day."
Drucken, possessed of a ''fidl measure of the best" — drunken,

Su.-Got. and Dan. drukken. Isl. druckin, Sc. drucken.
Drumlt, Drummelt, muddy, thick; as applied to the mind,

confused. Misled by Hanmer and P^gge, to drumMeia in

Todd's Johnson mianterpreted, to drone, to be sluggish. The

example from Shakspeare's Merry Wives af Windsor, •* Look
* how you drumbie^^ unquestionably means how confused you arcm
Drummock, meal and water mixed. V. Jam. Supp. dramock.
Drunkard's-cloak, a great tub or barrel of a peculiar con-
struction, for the punishment of dnu&ards in Newcastle. V.

Gardiner's England's Grievance discovered, p. 3, and Brand's

History of Newcastle, Vol. II. p. 192.
Pruvb, Druty, (firty, muddy. Sax. ge^drrfan, turbare.

Digitized by VjOOQIC'

lU BUB

Dub, a small pool of water; a piece of deep and smooth water

in a rapid river. Celt, dubh, a canal or gatter.
pUBLERy or DouBLER, a large dish of earthenware. Dwbler^ Mr.
Watson says, is a British word for a dish. OldTr. doublier,
plat, assiette. Dobeler occurs in Pdrs Ploughman.
Bub-Skelpbr, a bog-trotter ; a term applied to the Borderers.

Bucket, a dove-cot. Sc. daucat Dticket^loseyWidducket'garik^
are common names of fields in the North.

Bucks and Drakes, a pastime. Flat stones or slates are
thrown upon the surface of a piece of water, so that they may
dip and emerge several times, without sinking. '^ Neither
' cross and pile, nor dttcks and drakes, are quite so ancient as
handy-dandy."-^^r&tff/mo^ and Pope, quoted in Todd^s John-
son. I do not pretend to know the exact age of handy-dandy,
but the sport of ducks and drakes is of high antiquity, and
elegantly described by IMinutius Felix. V« BGn. Fel^ Octav.
notis Ouzeli, 8vo. Lug. Bat. 167!^, p. S4.

Ducky, a drink. " Give the bairn a ducky*'

Dud, a rag. Gkiel. dud. — Duds, clothes of a dirty or inferior
kind. V. Jam. — Duddy, ragged. — ^Dudman, a scare-crow.

BuFFPT, a sod. Identical with Divet, or Dnror. ^JDuffU^
theek'd," thatched with sods.

Duo, the female breast; a word now only among the vu^;
though it was formerly otherwise.

Jjoxdi Chancellor Hatton sent to Queen Elizabeth, a ring
against infectious aii^ « to be worn betwixt the sweet dugs^ of
her bosom. FoiXtroke't Encyclop. AtUiq, VdL /. p, 213.

Duii^ hard of hearing. It is the same in Scodand.

DuLunRT, Duiaard, a stujnd person, a falockhead<-»one of
didl birth; or it may bea provincial corruption of duUard^ a
word nsed by Shakspeare. But see Jam. Supp. duibart;
which the learned author derives fi-om Isl. dul, stultkiay and
bhi^, manifestare; q. one who shews his foi^shness.

Dumb-cake, a species of dreaming-bread, prepared by unmarried
females wil^ ingredientfl traditionally suggested ih witdhaoig

Digitized by VjOOQIC

dbggreU When baked» it is cut into three divisions; a part
of each to be eaten, and the remainder to be put under the
pillow. When the clock strikes twelve, each votary must go
to bed backwards, and keep a profound silence, whatever may
appear. Indieed, should a word be uttered, either during the
process, or before fidling asleep, the charm is broken, and
some direful calamity may be dreaded. Those, who are to be
married, or are full of hope, fancy they see visions of their
future partners hurrying after them ; while they, who are to
live and die old maids, or are not very sanguine of obtaining
their errand, see nothing at alL

Dumpy, sullbn, discontented. — Dumps, ill-humour, sullen tad-
tumity. Dut. dom, dull, stupid. Dump is an old word for
melancholy, sadness.

DuN«cow, a celebrated legend relating to the Cathedral of Dur-i
ham. V. Surtees, Gen. Hist. p. x.

DuNBLM OF Crab, a dish of a gouty complexion. Dr. Hunter
says, it takes its name from an ancient dty in the North of
Eog^d, where *good eating' and ^good living* are clerically
considered as synonjrmous terms.

DuNOflONABLB, shrewd; or, as the vulgar express it, devilish,'^
As Tartanu ngnifies hell and a dungeon; so dungeon is ap«
pUed to both.— *-JSa^. See also Jam. dungeon.

DuNSH, or DuNCH, to push or jog with the elbow. Teut. domen.

DuNTER, a conmion name for a porpoise. Sold for food in
Newcasdemarket, in 1575.

Du8H, to push violently, to move with velocity. Teut. doeten^
pulsare cum impetu et fragore.

Dust, tumult, uproar. << To kick up a diutP Su.-Got. dygt,
dusty tumnltus, fragor. Also money. ^ Down with your
duttP The association is obvious in both these vulgarisms.

DwAiN, DwARM, or DwALM, a feinting fit or swoon. See Dwine.

DwiNB, to pine, to be in a decline or consumption. Sax. rfiw-
nany tabesco^. Swed. tvynoy to languish, to dwindle. Teut.
dwynen.^\>mmi!SQy a lingering illness, a consumption.— i-
DwiNT, ill thriven.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

106 EAID

£.

Eald, old age. Pure Saxon. Chaucer uses Me^ and Shak-

speare, in Measure for Measure, palsied eld,
Ealdrbn, Eldren, advanced in life— elderly. Dan. aldrende,

old.
Eam, Eame, uncle. Sax. eame, avunculus. Germ. oAm.

Henry Hotspur, and his eame^
The Earl of Wor'ster— /)r«y^<Mi, PoiyMon.

The nephues straight deposM were by the eame*

Mirror far JifagkfnUes.

Ear, a kidney ; as the ear of veal. It is supposed to be so called
from its resemblance to an ear, and being a name more deli-
cate than kidney; but it is probably a corruption of Germ.
nierey a kidney — a pronunciation partially retained in the
county of Durham, and also in Yorkshire. Swed. njure. —
The old name, presenting a less fiuniliar idea, might be retained
from delicacy, as the old French words mutton, veal, beef, and
pork, are considered less offensive than sheep, calf, ox, and
pig, when these animals are brought to table. It is, however,
curious, that the meat which would have been, one might have
imagined, most annoying to the feelings by its real name, yet
retains it — ^lamb.

Earles-penny, or Arles-penji r, an earnest-penny. See Arlbs.

Earn, Yearn, to coagulate milk. Germ, getinneny to curdle.

Earning, Yearning, cheese-rennet. Sax. gerunning, V. Lye.

Easings, the eaves of a house. Sax. efese. , Somner. Peirs
Ploughman has evettfnges. — Easing-drop, an eaves-drop.

Eath, Eith, easy. Sax. eath, Sc. eitky eyth,

"Where ease abounds yt*d ealh to do amiss.— 5|p0fiAT, F. Q.

Eaver, Eever, a comer or quarter of the heavens. Common
in Cumberland) and also in Cheshire. V. Wllbraham.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

EiGH m

Eddbr, the long part of brush wood put upon the top offences.
Not in use, Dr. Johnson says. But I have heard the word in
most of the Northern counties. Old Tusser reconunends the
dEumer to

Save edder and stake
Strong hedge to make.

Edder, a viper. Stx, setter. Still so called in Lancashire.—
Todd's John. It may be added, in Northumberland and
Durham also. Edder-cap, when applied to a female of a
violent temper, has the same signification as attercap. See
Attercop.

Edge, a ridge— the side of a hill ; such as many places in Nor-
thumberland — Biddletione JEdge, Sharperton Edge, &c.

£e, the Northern singular {^ eye. Sax. ee^. — £en, plural —
Sax. eagan, Chaucer uses eyeuy for the eyes.

Ee, a spout ; as the miU^, Probably eye (the aperture of the
spout) by association,

EBi4EAT0By a term among children for « young eel.

Ebm, leisure. Sax* eemtany rest, leisure, spare time. The word,
I tliink, is seldom used, except in Cumberland. Mr. WUbra-
ham has earn, or eem, v, to spare time, to have leisure.

Efter, the Northern form o£ after. Sax. eftyr, post. Su.-Got
efter.

Egg, E96-0N, to instigate, to indte. An old word, firom Sax.
egaan, Dan. egger; Isl. eggia ; and Swed. &gga, are cognate.

EfiGLER, one who goes about the country collecting eggs for
sale — ^hinc forte higgler.

£i6H, or Aye, yes ; one of the strongest characteristics of our
Northern dialect. Much has been written respecting this
contested particle of affirmation. See Tooke, and Boucher,
under aye. In Newcastle, and the surrounding districts, its
orthoepy answers to the Greek w, which many South country
Oredans find it difficult to pronounce properly.

EiOH,|»ro7tottn interrogative^ what ? what do you say ? ,

EiGH-wYB, a careless mode of expressing assent^ycs, yes.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

103 EKE-0

Eke-out, to use spariDgly. Chaucer has eeke, to add to; in
which sense, I find, it is still in use in several of the Northern
counties. This, or rather to continue, seems to be the proper
meaning of the word ; which may be derived from Swed. dka,
to increase, to augment.

Elbow-grease, hard rubbing, or any persevering exercise with
the arms. ^ Lucemum olere.^' Old Proverb,

Eldin, Eldino, fuel; such as turf, peat, or wood. Sax. akd,
ignis. IsL elldr. Dan. ild, Swed. eld, fire. The word is
also used for, brushwood for fences.

Elf-Locks, entangled or clotted hair. In elfin days it was sup-
posed to be a spiteful amusement of Queen Mab, and her fan-
tastic subjects, to twist the hair of human beings, or the manes
and tails of horses, into hard knots, which it was not fortunate

to loose.

This is that very Mab,
That plats the manes of horses in the night ;
And bakes the dfJocks in foul sluttish hairs.
Which, once untangled, much misfortune bodes*

Sffidk. Romeo and JuUet,

Elf-shots, the name vulgarly ^ven to the flint arrow heads,
made use of in war by the ancient Britons; of which quanli-
ties have been found in the Northern counties. The common
people ima^ne them to have been shot by elves, or &iries.

There every herd, by sad experience knows
How wing'd with fiite, their elf-shot arrows fly.

When the sick ewe her summer food foregoes.
Or stretched on earth the heart-smit heifers lie.

Ode, Pop, Superstit. Highlands, p. 10.

ELI/-D0CKBNS, butter blur, or coifs foot. Tussilago petasites,
Eller, the alder tree. Germ, eller. Sax. teler. This tree
abounds in the North of England more than in any other part
of the kingdom, and seems always to have been there held in
great respect and veneration. It was the same among other
northern nations. Y. Keysler Antiq. selec. Septent. et Celt,
p. 76. A contrary notion, however, has dsewhere prevailed;

Digitized by VjOOQIC

EVIL m

m eonsequence of Judas (as it is protended) having been
hanged on a tree of this kind; but for which I have m .vain
searched for a more ancient authority than the Visiooa of
Peirs Ploug^Quuiy where it is said^

Judas be bj japede thorgh Jewene selver
An afterward he heng hym hye on an «Kan^*

Ell-mother, a step mother. Originally, peHiaps, a grand-
mother; from Sax. eedde'inoder, avia.

Else, already. Sax. dies. In frequent use.

Elsin, Elson, a shoemaker's awl. Teut. aelsene, subula.

Elspfth, Elizabeth. Sc. EUpMy Eltpei.

Enanters, lest, in case. Y. Jam. Supp. enamder.

£nd-4rons, two moveable iron plates used to contract the ire*
place^irons placed at each end (or side) of the JSre, See
Strutt's Horda, Vol. III. p. 68, where a highly onuuneiited
pair of these utensils is described.

Emew, plural o£ enough. Old writers used enow.

Enoo, by and by, presently— ^en now, even now.

Ebne, the cinereous eagle. Falco dUnciUa. Linn. The term is
general in the Northern languages. This powerfid bird, com-
mon in the wild maritime districts of Scotland, has frequently
been seen in Northumberland, during the winter months.

EsH, the ash tree. Teut. eschy fraxinus. €tenn. e»dte.

Ettlb, to intend, to attempt, to contrive. V. Ihre, aiku

Ettle, to earn. Synonymous with Addle, Aidlb, Eddlb*

Ettlings, oumings, wages. The same as Addunos, AiDLniGS.

EvENDooN, even doivn, plain, honest, downright; having Eten-
DOON-THUHP, for the comparative degree*

EviL-ETED, envious, maliciously inclined. Superstitious people
supposed that the first morning glance of him with an evil-eye
was certain destruction to man or beast. Though the e£^t
were not instantaneous, it was thought to be eventually sure.
But if he, who had this unfortunate influence were wdl disir
posed, he cautiously glanced his eye on some inanimate object,
to prevent the direful consequenceSi See Crav. Gloss. 2d.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

no EWE-G

' edit. Yo. evU-eye, In remote ages, talismamc rings vere made
use of as a charm against the fascination of an evil-eye.

' Connected with this subject, is a common expresdon in the
North, ** no one shall say Hack it your eyef^ i. e, no body
can justly i^eak ill of you..

Doll, in disdaine, doth from her heeles defie ;
The best that breathes shall tell her UaclCi her eye t
And that it's true she speaks, who can say nay ?
When none that lookes on*t but wiU sweare 'tis gray.

(Hd Epigram.

£wE-60WAN, a term for the common dai^. . North Tindale^

EwEB, Ure, Yube, an udder. . Swed. ^'ur. Germ, enter. .

£zciSE, to impose upon, to overcharge — without relation to
goyemment exaction. The word is now well known in this
enlaiged sense, and ought to be in our dictionaries. *

Expect, to suppose, to beliere. A common northern expression.

R

Fad, JPawd, fashioned. " ni/flkf*— *« aud^/arf." The Scotch
have iU-faur'df ill favoured or plain; and weelfaur^dy well
&voured or handsome; terms which are now generally recdv-
ed in Northumberland. Indeed, the word under consideration
is only the r sunk or slurred offaur'd. ltBl.fattO''mal:fatto,
In the Promptorium Parvulorum sive Clericorum, a very rare
old English and Latin Dictionary, printed in 1499, but com-
piled about 1440, we find, ** comly or well farynge in shape;
elegans;" and in Horman's Vulgaria, published in 1519, we
have, **he looked unfaringfy^ aspectu fuit incomposito."
Well faring looks is still a common expression. See Farand.

Fad, or Faud, a bundle of straw. Sax. feald, plica. Fr. far-
deau.

Fadge, a bundlp of sticks, a fagot. Swed. fagga, onerare.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

FAIR 111

Fadgb, a small flat loaf, or thick cake. Fr.fiuac^, a bun.
Fadoy, corpulent, unwieldy, having a shuffling gait.
Faffle, to saunter, to trifle — to /addle,
Faikes ! Br my faikes ! a kind of minced oath ; equivalent to

faith, upon my yJit/A— verily. Sc/egs.
Fain, glad, earnestly desirous. ^ Fair words make foolsyatn."

Proverb, Sax, faegeny lastus, hilaris.

Ah York, no man alive so JiUn as 1,^'Shdk, 2. Hen, VI,

Fair, a present at or from a fair — a fairing.

Fair, Fairly, evidently, manifestly. " It's fair swindling."
** He fairly cheated me."

Fair-fall-you, a common benediction — a blesang attend you.

Fairy-butter, a fungous excrescence, sometunes found about the
roots of old trees. After great rains, and in a certain degree
of putrefaction, it is reduced to a consistency, which, together
with its colour, makes it not unlike butter. When met with
in houses it is reckoned lucky.

Fairy-money, found treasure. The discovery, if revealed, was
supposed to bring on the blabber's ruin.

A prince's secrets are like fiuiy &vours,
Wholesome if kept, but poison if discovered.

Honest MaiCi Fortune,

Fairy-palaces. The belief in &aries is by no means extinct

- among the vulgar in the remote parts of the North ; and vil-
lage superstition can still point out the green hillocks ** beau-
tiful as fairy land" under which the mysterious sovereign is
supposed to have dwelt in all her pomp and splendour. An
excellent institute of " Fairy Mythology" has just been pub-
lished, which, no doubt, will soon become as familiar to the
reader as Sir Walter Scott's Essay on the Fairy Superstition

. in the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.

Fairy- pipes, small tobacco pipes, of an ancient and clumsy form,
frequently found in ploughed fields in the North of England.
They are also, it seems, met with in Ireland, particularly in
the vidnity of those singular circular entrenchments, called

Digitized by VjOOQIC

112 FAIR

Danish forts, but which, more probably, were the Tillages oi
settlements of the native Irish. See a sketch of one of these
pipes, with a curious paper on the subject, in the Anthokgia
Hihfgnica, for May, I7d3.
Faibt-iungs, green and highly verdant circles, frequently visible
in meadows and pastures; around which, according to our
traditionary accounts of Fairy Mythology, the popular elves or
** pretty creatures,** all of the softer sex, were accustomed to
dance by moonlight, in their nocturnal scenes of revelry and
merriment. In the dramas of Shakspeare, it was not to be
expected that the luxuriant imagination of the immortal poet
should overlook so characteristic a trait of the Fairies. Ac-
cordingly, we find Prospero, in the Tempest, thus invoking
them :<—

You demy^puppets, that
By moon'4bine do the ^tven-spur ringlets make.
Whereof the ewe not bites ; and you whose pastime
Is to make midnight mushrooms.

Dr. Withering, m his Botanical Arrangement, Vol. IV. p.
277, states, that these circles are caused by the growth of an
agaric, which he fidly describes. They have also, with less
probability, been attributed to the circumgyratory burrowings
of the mole.

Faixs, the divisions of a large arable field attached to a village^
annually cultivated in a fixed rotation of crops.

Familous, relating to a family. ** 'Tis afamilous complaint.**

Famp, for found. Retained in Scotland, Dr. Johnson says. It
is proper to state, in the North of En^^nd also.

Famtomb^obn, lank, or light coni< — Fantomb-hat, light, well
gotten hay. Y. Ray.

Fasand, «. state of preparation for a journey— fashion, manner,
custam,<p— Faran]>>man, a traveller or itinerant merdiant.— «
Farant, a. equipped for a journey— fiahioned, shi^; as
Jigiting^aranty in the fighting way or fashion; weU or tff-
farant^ well or ill looking. See Aud-faraot. All these

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FARL 113

' fispresfflonfftnaybetracedtotheoldrerb/aiv, togOytotrayel.
Qax.faran, Dan. fare, Swed, fara. We may, as remarked
by Dr. Willan, wonder at the ideas of foresight, preparation,
end fiNrmal style, connected with a journey in our islwd; but
on rererdng to the time of the Heptarchy, whra no collateral
fiicilities aided the traireller, we shall be convinced that ft jour^
Bey of any eonsiderable extent, must hare been an undertaking
that would require much previous calculation, and nice ar-
. -tangement. Indeed, within the last century, a journey from
Newcastle to London, was conndered 90 perilous an enter-
prise, that the traveller, as a necessaiy precaution, regularly
made his will, and arranged his most important affairs, before
hia departure. Such* however^ in the {V^sent days of sden*
tific improvement, is the rapidity of vehicular conveyance,
llwt, wl^ I am writing tins, tlie prescribe time for the direct
mail from London to Effinburgh is 46 hours :«^in 1712, the
joqmey was advertised to be perfoimed in thirieen dayi^ vrith-*
out stoppages, Deo volente.
Fabantlt, adPk orderly, in regular or established modes. The
Bev* Joseph Hunter, the learned historian of Hallamshire,
who is peculiarly conversant with the dialectical varieties and ar-
«jiaical words of that part of Yorkdiire, and to whose friendly
fittendon I am indebted for a valuable MS. communication^
informs me, that the Hallnmshire sense of fiirantly is not ex*
actSy that which I and others have given to it. It includes,
says he, more of good humour-^sodal qualities. His conjec-
ture upon it 18, that it is in fa31,faranUma»4ike, and that it
expresses those qualities by which the itinerant merchant was
accustomed to recommend himself to the simple inhabitants of
the wilder parts of the country, whose periodical arrival was
prdixibly considered (as indeed it is by some now) as an imt
portant asra in an unvaried life.
Fixs, to near or approach. ** The cow fares a-calving."
Farubs, or Fkrues, trifles, unusual or unexpected things.
** JSpying fariies," making a wonder of every day, or trifling
matters. Sax. ferlic, subitus. Su.-Got, fqrlig. Isl. ferlig.
Q

Digitized by VjOOQIC

IH FARN

The word occurs in Peirs Ploughman's Yision, and in the
writings of Chaucer, and other old English poets.

Faan, or Faren-tickled, freckled, sun burnt. — FARN-TiCEi^fis,
freckles on the skin, occasioned by. the influence of the sun;
said to be so called from resembling the seeds of the fern—
freckled with fern ; but perhaps, fmr and tickled^ fair and
freckled. Major Thain refers me to Swed./r4^;na, plur./r^-
noTy freckles.

Fash, v. to trouble, to tease. ** I cannot be feuKd^ Fr.
facher, to vex. — Fash, *, trouble, care, anxiety. Vv, faeherie,
— Fashous, a. troublesome. 'FT,facheuXyfacheu8e,

Fassens-een, or FastermVeven, Shrove Tuesday evening.
The eve of the great fest as preceding Ash Wednesday, the
first day of Lent.

Fat-hen, goose foot^ or mwk weed— growing rank in manured
land. Chenopodium album. V. Moor.

Faud, Fad, a fold yard,— Pin-faud, a pinfold. Sax./oid^sta-
bulum.

Faugh^ fkllow. My friend, Mr. Wilbraham, says, ^' an abbrevi-:
ation of the word;" but it seems allied, I think, to M./aagay

' polire, or Su.-Grot./<?ia yel faiay purgare.

Faur'd, fevoured.^ — Ill-faur'd, ill favoured. See Fad, Fawd.

Fause, cunning. This word is used as an adjective, but is evi-
dently the Saxon /or/ and it describes those qualities in man
which are popularly attributed to that animal. Sometimes it
is used in a good sense ; as sharp, clever.

Faut, or Faute, a fault. The old form of the word.

Favour, to resemble, to have a similar countenance or appear-
ance. ** He favours his fether." The use of this word is not
confined to Cheshire, as Mr. Wilbraham supposes.

Faw, an intinerant tinker, tinner, or brazier — a travelling besom-
maker, potter, dogger, &c.

Faw-gaxg, a general name in Northumberland for all sorts of
wandering people, who go about in companies, encamp by the
highway sides in summer, and are employed in making and
selling besoms, and vending crockery, ware. Most of them,

Digitized by VjOOQIC

FEG 115

- as remarked by my friend, Mr. HodlgBOO) from whose recent
History I have adopted the above description, are desperate
poachers both in ^e field and fold yards. Like their ances-
tors, the gipsies, the female branches still practise palmistry
and fortune telling, and deal in various dqiartments of the
black art. In Lodge's Dlustrations of Brit. Hist. Vol. I. p.
135, is a curious letter from the Justices of Durham to the
Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord President of the Council in the
North, dated 19th Jan. 1549, concerning the gipsies vndLfawi,
There was a Johnme Fawy who styled himself Lord and Earl of
Little Egypt, with whom that gallant monarch, James IV, of
Scotland, found it necessary, or thought it prudent, to enter
into a treaty. Queen Mary, also, granted a writ in his favour.
From him and his tribe arose the appellation tiUfawt^ and faw'
gangy as applied to this singular race of Border gipsies. In

' more recent times, old Will Faw was king t>r leader of one of

' these gangs.

Teacigate, impudent, brazen-feced. •* A feacigate jade J*_

I^AL, to hide; especially any thing surreptitiously obtained.
^ He that feals can find.** Prov. Isl. fel, occultare. The

- French have a term, JUer sa corde, to go the way to the gal«

- lows.

Fearful, very, exceeding. ** FearftU sorry" — very sorry. The
word U conmion, also, in the sense of, awful, frightful. A
featfulm^t ; afearfTtl man ; u e, a sight, or a man to cause fear
in the beholders.

Feat, neat, dextrous. Su.-Got. fatt, apt, ready. Swed. fatt,
disposed, inclined— /o^o, to comprehend.

Featly, dextrously. " She dances featly'* ^Winter* s Tale,

Feck, might, activity, abundance. Perhaps, Sax, faeck, space.
In Scotland, /<?c^ means the greater portion, dither of time, or
of number. Germ, fach, a portion or compartment ; einfach,
«ngle; tweyfach, double; mekrfach, many fold.

Feckpul, strong, powerful, active, zetQous, brawny.

Feckless, weak, feeble, helpless, inefficient, ineffectual.

Fko, the name invariably given by the vulgar to Jig. Germ.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

H« FELL

feige. The word is also used for, what k of no Talue. *f A
/eg for you."

Fsm «. a rocky hill, a mountaia or oommoa scarcely admitting
of cultivation^— frequently used for any moor or open waste,
though properly a high or alpkia tract only. Isl. feil, one
mountaia resting on another* Su.-Got, Jiaell^ a ridge of
mountains. Genn,feli, a rock«

Fbll, a, sharps keen* Hence/ell, savage, cruel, &c«
ELLON, B disease in cows, occasioned by cold. Skinner derives
it from Sax. feUe, cruel, on account of the anguish the com-
plaint occasions ; and the author of the Crav. Gloss, from But.
felen or fet/len, to fail; because milch cows, which are sufc^ct
to it, fail of giving thdr milk; or from hellen, to bow or hang
down, as the udders of cows are frequently enlarged in this
disease, I may add Ital. fello, whence the augmentative fd^
lane, the obvious primitive of /<?^n,-^about whose derivation
much nonsense has been written. See Black, Gomm. VoL
IV. p. 95. Spenser uses felon exactly as Ariosto or Tasso
feUone.

Fbllon, a name g^ven to a cutaneous eruption in children.

Fjblteb, or Feltre, to entangle, to clot together. In Todd's
John, it is derived from ltal,feltrare; to which may be added
Germ, faken, to phut, to fold.

WiafeUred locks that on his bosom ML^-^Fairfiuc.

Femmer, Fremmer, weak, slender, feeble. Isl. yramur, mollis.

Fen, to appear to do any thing neatly or adroitly-^not to be de-
terred by shame. ." I cannot /?«," signifies I am restrained by
a sort of awe arising from the presence of some person for
whom I have a respect or dread. — Fensome, neat, becoming,
adroit. Swed.Jintlig, inventive, quick at contrivance, ready
at expedients.

Fend, to endeavour, to make shifl, to be industrious, to struggle
with difficulties, to ward off. " He fendt hard for a living."
It is also used in allusion to the state of a person's health; as
" how /<?«</* it ;" t. e, how are you in health.— Fendy, good at

Digitized by VjOOQIC

FEU 117

jnalung a shifty warding off want, carefid> provident. Fend is
an old word for support

FisifD AND PBOTB, to argue and defend.— JFVnif (defend) is here
used in the flench sense— to 'fend and prove, to den^ and
prove* So still in pleading.

FiSBMy FiERB, a brother, friend, or companion. Sax./i?ra, socius.
** Flai/-fer^*---& play-fellow. See Atdd Lang Syne. The
word is used for a husband, by Spenser, in the Faerie Queene»
^ for a wife, in the q>itaph quoted in The Spectator,

Febly, V, to wonder. — Ferly, «. a wonder. See Farlies.

Fest, V* to bind or place out an apprentice under an indenture.
SttX^feitmaiu S}JU*Got,/aettay to fasten or confirm.

Fest, or The Fest, «• a place on the Quay, Newcastle, where
keelmen receive their orders--»the &8tening. Genu* /est, the
place for making fast.

FiBSTiNCi-rBNNY, mouey given by way of earnest, to a servant,
when hired or retained in service. Among the Saxons a/f«^
. tinmait signified a surety or pledge.

Fettle, «• to put in order, to repair or mend any thing that is
broken c^ defective. Dr. Johnson explidns this word, ** to do
trifling buoness, to ply the hands without labour," and calls it
a cant word from feel, Mr. Todd corrects this mistake; and,
quoting Grose'/i definition, which is different from that here
assigned to it, thinks it probably comes fi:om Su.-Got./^it/,
studium. The word in Cheshire, has the same meaning as
that which I have given, and Mr. Wilbraham says, it appears
to him to be derived with some deflection of the word fidre, to
do, which itself comes from the Latin facere. The nearest
which occurs to him is the old French wordyoitore, whidb has
exactly the same meaning as our substantive /?/^i^, and is ex-
plained by Roquefort, in his Glossaire de la Langue Romaine,
by/opon, mode^ former &c I am, however, inclined to consi-
der it as firom the same root as Feat ; which see.

Fettle, t . cnrder, good condition, proper repair. Used by Roger
Ascham, in his ToxophUus. V. Crav. Gloss.

FsuD, a fiunily war on the Borders in days past ; ikefekde of the
German cfaividry. See Deadly Feud.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

118 FEU

Peuth, Fouth, fill, indulgence, plenty. ** Let them have their

feuth^^ — give them enough to eat or drink.
FW, number, a large quantity. " A good feto^^ — ^ a g^yfew**
■' — ^what our Southern ndghbours call ** a good many.'*
Few, is also used for a small quantity; as a *' httlefew broth ;"
' originally, perhaps, a few broes, the Scotch for broth, and taken

in Englanfl for the plural.
VkDDLEsTicKS-END, an inteijectional expression of disbelief or

doubt, bestowed on any absurd, nonsensical conversation.
FiDGiNG, uneasy, impatient, restless. ^ Fidging ^n."
'Fig, to supply ginger to a horse, under pretence of wiping or

cleaning him, but really to exdte him to carry a fine tail. A

conunon practice at fairs. A correspondent says, it is from

Germ, fegen, to wipe. But see Craven Glossary, 2d,

edit.
FiKE, V, to fi%et, to be restless, or busied about tnScs, Su.-

Got.^a, cursitare. Swed. Jika, to be eagerly in search of. —

FiKE, FiKEs, «. restlessness, trifling cares. '^To have the
fiketJ* — ^FiKY, a. fidgetty, itchy, minutely troublesome.
File, to soil, to foul — ^to defile. Sax. afykm, contaminare.
FiNKLE, the plant fennel.— Dwr. S&x./ynd, Germ, fencheh
FiNNiKV, trifling, scrupulously particular— ^mco/.
FiPPLE, a name for the under lip. Y. J&m.faiple.
FiBE-DAMP, the inflammable air, or carburetted hydrogen gas of

coal mines.

The accidents ai'ising from the explosion o£ the jf re-damp or
inflammable gas of cod mines, mixed with atmospherical air»
are annually becoming more frequent and more destructive in
the collieries in the North of England. — Sir H, Dao^^

Fl«MPANGBD, fire bitten. V. Jam. vo, fyrefangtt,
FiREF^UGHT, lightning, a flash of fire. 8c. ^refiauchi.
First-foot, the name given to the person who Jirti enters a
dwelling-house on New Yearns Day — ^r^arded by the super*
stitious and the credulous as influencing the fate of the family,
especially the fair part of it, for the remainder of the year. In
order to exclude all suspected or unlucky persons, I find, it is

Digitized by VjOOQIC

FLAP 11^

ctifitoiiiai^ for one of the damsels to engage, before lumd, some
- Civoured youth, who— elated with so «gnal a mark of female

distinction-*— gladly comes early in the morning*-and never

empty handed-r-to ofier the gratulations of the season. Should

a woman enter ^rtt, she is considered unpropidous, be she.

lovely as an angel.
FissiiS, or FisTLE, to make a rustling noise, to fidget. Teut.

fidgelen, agitare.
Frrr, to vend and load coals. An application of the usual verb

to fit, to a particular purpose. V. Brand's Hist. Newc Vol.
. IL p. 272. — FiTTBES, persons who vend and load coals— ^^

Hng ships mih cargoes. — ^Running-fittebs, thdr deputies.
Fix-fax, gristle, the tendon of the neck. Germ.Jlacise.
Fiz, to scorch, to fly off, to make a hissing noise. Isl.j^^a.
Fizzle, or Fisslb, a jocular name for a mistdce of the most

o£fensive kind. Teut. vijst, flatus ventris, sine strqpitu aut

sonitu.
Flacker, FLECitER, to flutter, to vibrate like the wings of a Inrd

under alarm, to quiver. Su.-Got.^c^rii. Genn.Jku:kem. —
. FUcker is used by Chaucer and Shakspeare.
Flafeer, the same as Flacker, Flecker ; which see.
Flah, Flaw, a square piece of turf, dried and used as fuel. Sax.

Jleany to flay off. Dan.^ooe, to flay.
Flaik, or Fleck, a portion or space of stall ; so denominated to

this day by the fish women in Newcastle. Germ.^c^, a spot

•of ground, a place. '' Aw've had a Jlink in this market thur

sixty year.'* Old Dolly Simpgon,
Flaik, Flake, a wooden frame at the top of a kitchen for keep"

ing oat cakes upon.
Flam, a violent fall, a heavy stroke. TeaUjiabbe.
Flano, the old preterite oi fling; still in common use.
Flannen, the vulgar pronunciation of flannel. Welsh, gwlanen ;

which Davies derives from gwlan, wool.
Flaffer-ghasted, frightened, as if by a ghost. Major Moor-
' ii»s flgbber-gasted, in the sense of astonished, confused.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

120 FLAP

Flappt, mid, tfregular^ uniteady. ** An oldjhppy body/'

Flatun^ plamlyy peremptory. I should hnve thoi^ht it an in-
veterate yidgarism, had not Dr. Jamieson (footed Jiatlynys from
Barbour.

Flaughter, the thin tiirf turned up vhen ground is pared. Isl.
fiag-iorfy csespites graminei.

Flaiit, Flouoht, a roll of wool carded ready for spinning Genn*
flatuchy a tuft of wool, a handful.

Flat, to frighten.— ^Flat'd, affrighted, terrified, timorous.
** A^fijhyedi^ Vm afraid. — ^Flatino, an apparition or hob-
gobUnv-^FLAT-eoini, frightful.— Flat-cbaw, a scare craw.
Probably connected with Qena.flkheny to fly away.

FuEA-Brrs, Fusn-Brns, a ludicrous dengnation fbr any trrvial
pain or danger, or for any sUght injury or damage.

Flbokbd, spotted, streaked. Isl. Jhcka, dfisoolor* Dait, flek,
and Swed^^Udby a stain, spot, blot.

Flee, v. to fly. Sax. ^ogan, — Flee, «. a fly. Saai,fleoge.

ELEv-Br*THS-8K7, a ally, flirting, absurdly dressed, gigglmg gfrW-
-<*a wanton hussy-^-any silly body.

Fleech, to supplicate in a flattering manner, to wheedle. Teut.
,/K^eR.-^FiJSBCinif o, flattering, supplicating ; or, according to
^ Tht Bet I* earnestly intreating, with a derire to gain any one
over to the purpose wanted, by artfully dravdng tfaem to form
a good opinion of ^da!dficef^»er,

FuKDia-SATBRB, die large dragon fly; dnefly seen about ponds
and mardies. CEiknagrandig. The vulgar are a&aid of being
stung by it; from which circumstance it is, in some places,
called a maghg^atkery and, in others, a tanging noMer ; both
meaning a tHnging adder, I shall only add, that in Aelfric^s
Glossary we find jS^^ofid^ naeddre.

Fleet, shallow; as njleet pan or vessd; Jleet water. Sax.
Jleding, fluxus^ inondatio ; htnoe Jleet, a creek where the tide
flows.

FLBBT-BaLK, milk without cream ; firom old t&b Jleet, to skim.

Fleer, to vootk at, to grin with scorn. See Flire; winch

Digitized by VjOOQIC

FLIT ISl

seeibs cognale. StUbbeSy in bis violent pliiiipi»c> the Anato^
mie of Abuses, uses the word io descrilHiig the ehurch-aks of
hisday*

Then the f^Ush people thej looke, thej stare, they laugh,
they feere^ and mount upon forms and pewes, to see these
goodly pageants solemnized in this sort.

Fuck, a side or flitch of bacon. Sax.^icc^, succidia.

Another broughte a spycke
Of bacon fitckcr-SkeUon.

Fugged, flecked. ** FU^d ower the dovp?* Jsl. Jleygr, yolu*
cris. 'Rence Jliggert, young Inrds that can fly.

FuNDBRS, shreds, broken pieces, splinters. I formally referred
to Dat^Jlenten ; but according to Ihre, the true origin of the
word is the Gothic JHnga, frustum, utpote quod percutiendo
rumpitur.

The bow xafi$utert flew..»C%ruf*« Kirk on the Greetu

FuNO, to dance in a peculiar manner, as in the WghlandJUng*
Perhaps from Swed, Jldnga^ to romp.

FuRB, to laugh, or rather td hare a countenance expresnye of
laughter, without laug^g out. IsLjlyra^ subridere. There
u a Scotch ezpresaon, to Jli/r€ the face, to be in a Jierce
peution,

FuBTioio, a wanton g^Iing Uiss — an unsteady ^1.

FusK, to skip or bounce. Swed. JKuOf to laugh immoderately.
-i*-Fu8KT, frolicksome. ^ She's a Taiejiitky jade."

Fur, to remove from one habitation to another. Su.-Got.
Jl^a. Dan. fytte. Swed. Jii/tia, — FurtiNO, the act of re-
moving the furniture.^— MooNUOHT-PUTTiNO, carr^dng away at
night the household goods without paying the rent to the land-
lordr^flying the country for debt. FlUimte is an old term for
an amercement where a person, having been a fugitive, return-
ed of Ins own accord, or without a license.

Flitb, to scold, to make a great nc4se. Sax. J^iany to brawl.
ScjSf^le.— Fliting, the act of scolding, or brawling.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

122 FLIT

FuTT, giddy, light headed, non compos. Sc^Sfyly.^^Mr, Taylor
. suggested that it should be written^%,a>fyk4itwi^.
Plough, Flow, cold, mrindy, boisterous, bleak. *^ItsJloftgk

weather." *' Here's a Jhiv day." The wcnrd seems allied'to
. Swed.^iK«nif^, violent respiration.

Flouohtbe, or Flowter, a fright. — Flouohtered, afirighted.
Fluck, Flucker, Jenny-flucker, a flounder. SKu^Jioe,
Flum, Flitmmert, using an illusory pretext^misleading you to

expect something— deceitfiilness.
Flung, deceived, beaten. " He was sadly Jiung, poor man.**

Probably a metaphor from b^g thrown off horseback ; as also

he was thrown, he was cast— both which phrases are in use.
Flusteration, hurry, confusion, sudden impulse.
Flt»bt-nioht, a term for a worthless person, who gets into debt,

and runs off, leaving the house empty.
Foo, Fogg, the grass grown in autumn after the hay is mown:—

the second crop, or aftermath. Law Lat./ogagtttm.

One with another they would lie and play.
And in the deepjbg batten all the dAy^-^Drayton,

Fog, a term in North, for moss ; of Danish orig^--^tff^.

FpGGT, a. fat, bloated. Sc./oggie, dull, lumpish.

FoGiE,-a person advanced in life, an infirm man. "An old

Foist, to smell mosty. Shajiispeare, in Hamlet, uses to futt;
which is probably the same word. . .

FoiXiT, an appropriate designation given to a building, not meant
for use, but for ornament ; or to one, which has not answered
the purpose for which it was origmally intended.

Focn^pu>UGH, a Christmas Pageant ; (^onosting of a number of
i^ustics, dressed in white, and bedizened with various coloured
nlnbons — who drag a plough in procession up and down the
country villages,.begging money to drink, in allusion to their
labours having ceased in that severe, season. . In these peram-
bulations, to say nothing of the munc, they are accompanied
by a tawdry and grotesque figure in the habit of an oAf tooncafiy

Digitized by VjOOQIC

FORE m

denominated the Beuy^ fus well, as by a hunuHOua country-
man, called the Fody disdngujshed by a 8ttII.m(M« andc dress;
and .whose office it is-^in which he is. very assiduous— to raV>
tie a box amongst the spectators, and to receive their dona-
tions. When any thing is given, the gratitude of the party is
expressed by the exclamation, Largett I but if not requited at
apy house, they draw the plough through the ground in fix^nt.
The money thus collected, as such contributions usually are.
Is afterwards spent in feasting and conviviality. This cqstom
if of very ancient origin, derived from die Feast of Fools. In
like manner, the keelmen in Newcastle, when the navigation
of the river Tyne is blocked up with ice, sometimes haul a
boat about the streets, to show diat they are deprived of their
ordinary means of earning a livelihood.

FoQT^^LE, or Footing, an entertainment given on taking posses-
sion of any new place or ofGce — a fine imposed on a beginner,

FoNn, sOIy, foolish. An old Northern word. Su.-Got. Jdnig^
delirus, stultus. Swed. finigy foolish, silly. — Fond-as-a-buz-
SfOif, remarkably silly, ridiculously good natured. — ^Fondy, or
Fondling, a fool. Old Burton uses/ond/tng.

Force, or Fobse, a cascade or water&ll. Su«-Got. /or«, a cata-
ract. The High Force, or great fall of the river Tees, u a
scene of great sublimity, and perhaps the finest cataract in the
island.

FoRDER, to promote, to advance— to /orwarrf. V. Jam« Supp.

I^OREBV, besides, over and above. Daa.forbi, by, past, over.,

FoRB-EU>JBR, an ancestor. Bsol. forealdian, senescere. Swed.
fdrSldrar, parents. Dan. forceldre, Mr. Hunter informs me,
that he never heard this word south of York; and there only
once. But ancestors, which has supplanted a word better
than itself, is hardly quite naturalized, being sometimes pro*
nounced amcetres, showing through what channel it has come
to us.

FoRE^END, the spring,. or early part of the year.

FoRE-HEET, forethought; from Forb-hebd, to pre-conader.-—
Havjng-to*thb^fore, having any thing forthcoming.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

m PORB

FoBENKNST, oppofiite to, OTCT agidnst, towardsh-as m port pay-

fttent of a debt. Sc, f9reanent,
FoitxiN*ROBBiN» aa ear wig; so called from its tonked tail. Bay.
FoRTBBBirTy forwardi early. ^ A fortheriy hat^^^^-^^fortherly

potatoes."
Fouy tipsy, Bacchi plenus— ^/WZ of his or^es. The ^ituataon-of

the ** wee bit wifeikiey'' who, forgetting both die tempenuioe

and gentleness of her sex, happened to get **fou^^ is feliti-

tously ridiculed in a Scottish song attributed to Geddes.
Foumart, a polecat; probably /ou/mar/, from its intolerable

scant. There iafidmart in Sherwood's dictionary, and some

of our old writers uaefuHmart, Mr. Cotes derives die word

from Fr. femUemort (dead leaf), a species of weazel, so called

from its colour.
Foui&-o'cLOCK, refreshment in the harvest field at that hoor.-^

Dur. Our ancestors in the 13th and 14th centuries (as may

be collected from the Northumberland Household Bodk),
' appear to have4)reakfasted at 7> dined at 10, and supped at 4;

after which, they had livery at 8 or 9, and then retired to

rest.
Four, FowT, an indulged or spoiled child; any foolish person.

A fi^end says,/o»'(f, stultified. Fr./o/, fou* Ital./o^.
FouTER, a term of contempt. Vr.f outre. — Foutt, base, mean,

despicable. In Scotland, it is sometimes used in the sense in

which the low people in Spain and Italy apply the tenn or

ngn^o.
FozY, FuzzT, lig^t and spungy. Sax. wot^y humidus. Teut.

vooty spongiosus.
Fba, fi^m. A pure Saxon word; in constant use.
Frame, to attempt. ** He frames wdl"— he appears to do it well.

** How does he fram^^ — how does he set about it. Sax.

frefnmany efficere et formare. See Judges xii. 6.
Fratch, to scold, to quarrel. Germ.fratzeny fooleries?
Fratcher, a scold, or quarrelsome person. See Fratch.
Fratished, or Frbttished, perished, half firozen, benumbed

with cold* We also hear ofafratishment, or fretiiskmeni.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

FROW IfS

FrsIklagb, Ibe fireedofia or pihilqse of a btugess, in a' Ooiponh
tion* Genn.frilatZf free.

Frebt, to lament^ to grieve. From ^re^, to vex. Swed yrlto.
^ Sbeyiv^f cbWfully after the bainu.'*

Fbbbt, or Frsit, a spectre or frightful object, a snpenrtitious
observance or charm. lA./rett, an oracle.

Fkeic, Fbxm'd, strange, foreign, unknown. Sax. and Oerm.
frem*tU Dan. Jrenmet, Frem^d is also used to denote any
thing uncommon. ** It's rather frenCd to be ploughing irith
snow on the ground." Likewise, in the sense of cold; as a
frenCd day.

Fhbm'i>-person, a stranger. Thn.fremmeU Sifed, frdmntmuk.

Fresh, the swelling or overflowing of a river, a flood, a tikaw.

Fretten, spotted, marked. 8ax,frotkian^ fricare.

Fridat. In the calendar of superstition, not only in the North
of England but in Scotland, this day is viewed as one of ill
omen, on which no new work or enterprise must be bi^n.

' Marriages, I believe, seldom happen on it, fit>m this cause.
Dr. Buchanan, in his interesting paper on the rdigion and
literature of the Burmas (Asiatic Researches, Vol. YI. p. 17^)»
informs us, that with them *^ Friday is a most unlw^y 4ay «a
which no business must be commenced."

Friday's noon.
Come when it will, it comes too soon.— Prov.

Hopton, in his Concordance of Yearet^ is profiise «n the

subject of unlucky days and hours.
Frim, handsome, thriving, in good case. Sax./r^offi^ fortis,
Froatino, anxious, unremitting industry.
Frosk, a frog. — Bur. Sai.froxy rana. Germ./rotdL
Frouoh, loose, spungy, easily broken; often applied to wood^ as

brittle is to mineral substances. Vr,frois9e, bruised.
Frow, Frowe, a slattern— also a lusty female. Dut. prow.

Germ, /rau^ & woman. Beaumont and Fletcher, in Wit at

several Weapons, use froe.

Buxom as Bacchus* yroei, revelling; dancing.
Telling the musick's numbers with their feet

Digitized by VjOOQIC

lift FROW

FftowsBT, a, Bl(nreDi3r,conw4iKilmig, Uoaled. Bcfrutscme, .

FRUGOAN9 the pole widi which the ashes in an oyen are starred.

. Vr.fimrgon, an oven-fork.

Frumpish, scornful, contemptuous. Btuley, has frumpy v. to
flout, &c. derived from Tent, frumpelen, to frizzle up die nose^
as in derision.

FoDiNiRy as much as a two-horse cart will contain. Sax. /other,
a wain-load. Qerm^fuder, a cart load; from fuhren, to
carry.

FuDDLEy/ooc? ale, drinking to excess, so as to make ale the chief
food. This is the derivation (fanciful and unsatisfactory, I
confess) inserted in the first edition of this work, but which I
omitted to state had been previously given in the Craven
Glossary — a publication to which I have been indebted for
many words, depending on oral usage alone, which are alike
peculiar to the counties of Northumberland and Durham, and
the Deanery of Craven.

FuiH>us, to intoxicate fish. A poaching mode of destroying
tliem— unacknowledged by Waltonians.

FoFF, to blow or puff. Germ. ^ii^«.— Fofft, light and soft.

Fun, Fund, (p. p, oijlnd) found. Used by old people.

Funk, to smoke, or rather to cause an offensive smell. IsL
funot putrescere. — ^Funkino the Cobbler, filling an old per-
son's room with brimstone and assafoetida — a mischievous
pastime among boys.

FuNNT, comical. V. Todd's John. See also, Janu Supp.
fuime.

Fur, a fiurow. ^ex^fur^furhy su1cus.~Ri6-anp-fur, ridge and
furrow. " Rig and furred stockings.'*

FusBA',/uzs&di, a fungus found in fields, which, when pressed,
emits quantities of dust^a puff-ball. Lycoperdon proteut,

FusiN, FuzzEN, nourishment, abundance. Y. Todd's John.
. Jtntin,

FusoME, handy, handsome, neat. Probably viewsome, as viewfy,
which is common in the sense otpleatant to look upon. In
Scotland, Mr. Kinloch inform» me, it is the reverse^— it means
disgusting.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

(JAIN J27

Fdss» o. to attempt to do any thing in a hurried or confused
manner. Sax. ^^an, to hasten. Su.-Got.^<a.

Gab, V, to prate, to prattle. An old word. — Gab, «• idle talk,
prating — ^the mouth. V. Tales of the Crusaders, Vol. III.,
p. 25.

Gad, Gaed, a fishing rod^a wand. Sax. gad, stimulus.

Gad, Gaed, or Ged, a long stick with a pike at the end, former-
ly used to drive oxen when they were employed as beasts of
draught. It is a term still used for a riding stick. The scrip-
tural expression of kicking against the pricks is founded on
the same custom. Sax. gad, a goad.

Gadgeb, or Gauger, a name for that recording angel of the
law, ycleped an exciseman — to gauge being a part of his em-
ployment Of the gauger of wines and his office, we have
many ancient statutes. . The true English gauge is mentioned
in Rot. Pari. 32 Edw. L

Gae, Gie, or Gee, to go. Y. Todd's Johnson, gee,

Gaed, for went; common in North, and Dur» The Scots and
Danes, also, still use it.

Gailt, tolerable, pretty well — in good health and spirits; a
common answer to the salutation, '' How are you ?" Dr.
Jam. says, ^it has been supposed that there is some similarity,
in the use of gay in O. Fr. But I have met with no example
of this kind." It is, however, in modem French. The* Aca-

. demie say, ''aller gakment^ pour dire aller bon train;" t. e,
just pretty well.

Gain, a curious Northumbrian expresdon, of various significa-
tion, generally attached to other words to express a d^ee of
comparison; as gain quiet:^*pretty quiet; gum brave — toler-
ably courageous; gain near— ^conveniently near or at hand.
The etymology b doubtfuli though it is probably an abbrevia-

Digitized by VjOOQIC

138 GALE

don of giiy anti'^QAis ia also used simply for, near; with the

BuperlatiYe Gaqcbst, the nearest; as the "gtanest way" — the

nearest road. Y. Hire, gagn^
Gale, or Geal, to ache with cold; as the fingers do when frost

bitten ; or when yery cold water is taken in the mouth. Per-
haps from Lat. gelu, frost, cold; or Germ. geUen, to tingle.

But see Cotgrave, geler, to congeal with cold.
Gallet-bauk, a balk in e chimney, with a crook, on which to

hang pots. Gelte, in Germ, is a vessel with ears.
Galloob, Galore, plenty, abundance. V. Jam. gekre.
Gallowses, braces for keeping up pantaloons and similar articles

of dress.
Gam, to mock. It is game, shortening the yowel. The cant

word to gammon, and the corresponding substantive gammon,

derivatives. A gammon of bacon, however, is a gambone,

jambon, ^

Gam ASHEBS, Gammashes, gaiters. Sc. gramashet, Y. Jam.
Game-leg, a lame leg. Malone says, a corruption of the BritiBh

gam, or cam, crooked, and leg.
Gak, Gang, to go. Sax* gan, gangan. Several other languages

agree with this; as the Islandic ganga, Alemannic gangan,

Dutch ganghen, &c.
Ganger, having a good action— a good goer. Dan. ganger.

« He's a ganger, like WiVLy Pigg's diefc^s."
Gangeral, a vagrant, or ^rat/jptfr-— one vdio gangs about the
. country.
Gakg-wat, a thoroughfare, entry, or passage. Sax. gangweg,

Swed. gSngvdg, a pathway.
Ganowbbk, Bogation wedk— time of perambulating a boundary.

An old word, still in use, from Sax. gang^wuca, Swed.

gdnge-vecka is cognate, s
Gamt, or Gaunt, to yawn. Sax. gaman, to gape, to gasp.
Gantrse, Gantry, a stand for ale or beer barrel«. Y. Jam.
Gar, to make, to force, to compel. Dan. giofv. Swed* giro.

Not obsolete, as Dr. Johnson states; but in common use in

all the Northern counties.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

GATE 129

Oascil, stnall branches cut for the purpose of mending hedges
— underwood. Lat, gracilis^ slender. — Garcil-hsuck, a bill-
knife for cutting the garcil.

GARLANDy a wreath or crown of glory — formerly carried before
the corpse of a young unmarried female, and afterwards sus-
pended in the church. When I was a boy, there were seve-
ral of these funeral garlands in Witton Gilbert Church. No
white-washing, or beautifying, I hope, has since disturbed
them. See Virgin's Garland.

Garn, the ancient pronunciation of yarn ; still retained by old
people. Sax. geam. Dan. and Germ. gam.

Gars, Gurse, grass. Sax. gcers, Sc. gerss, — Garsing, Gur^-
SING, a gradng, a pasture-^an itig, or inclosure in grots.

Garten, a garter. Gael, gairtein. Sc. gartane. Welsh, gardys.
In Durham the word is used for com in the sheaf.

Garth, a small inclosure adjmnmg to a house. Br. gardd^ a
garden. Sax. geardy a yard. Swed. g&rd. A country
church-yard i^ called the garth^ or kirk-garM. The north
side is supposed to be not quite so holy as the more sunny
sides, and for that reason is usually reserved for the place of
interment of such as come to some untimely end.

Gate, or Gait, a right of pasturage for cattle through the sum-
mer — their stray or grazing for any specified time. It is deriv-
ed from gOy and means generally agoingy and in this instance a
right of going. V. Tooke.

Gate, a way, path, or street — ^a road. An ancient Saxon ex-
pression which has been peculiarly preserved in tH'e names
of streets or lanes in almost every considerable N<Mthem
town : — those ending in gate, as Bailif|;ate, Gilligate,, Narrow-
gate, Newgate, &c. having no allusion to gates having ever
been there'; nor does the frequent use of the word afford any
proof of a walled town, although such a conclusion has been
erroneously drawn. '\nde Gate, or Gait, supra. Su.-Got*
Isl. and Swed. ga/a, semita, via. In many villages, the public
road passing through is still called the towngate. Gate is,
also, well understood in the North in a more general way; as,
s

Digitized by VjOOQIC

130 GATE

** What gate are ye ganging 9** '* How many gates liae ye

been?"
Gate, or Gait, to set up sheaves of com singly to dry. — ^Ga-

TIN6, or Gaiting, a single sheaf of com, especially of oats and

barley, set up on end to dry.
Gaucy, fat and comely.— ^or/A. V. Jamieson.
Gauh, to comprehend, to understand, to distinguisfa, to consi-
der. Moe.-Got« gaumgan, percipere; or Teat,^ gauw, acutus.

— Gaumless, silly, ignorant, vacant, stupid.
Gaup, to stare vacantly. " What are ye gaupmg at, ye gowk ?"

Dut. gaapen, to gape.
Gauve, to stare about in a clownish manner, to look round with a

strange, inquiring gaze. Germ, gaffeuy adspectare. V. Wach-

;ter; and see Gayyson, or Gawvison.
Gavslock (often pronounced Geavugk), a strong iron bar, used

as a lever. Sax. gave/oc, catapulta. 'Su.-Got.|fa^Zflt^, jaculi

genus apud veteres Suiogothos.-^Ihre.
Gavy, an ungainly female, '^ of a strange ga%t^ and oiunco* man-

. ners." Germ« gaffen^ to gape and stare.
Gatyson, or Gawvison, a simpleton, a gaping silly fellow— -the

gon of a gavy.
Gawky, a, awkward, stupid, foolish. See the substantive.
Gawky, «. a vacant, staring, idiotical person. -Swed. g&ckt a

fool, buffoon. Dan. ^k. Germ. gecJe,
Gay, tolerable. " He's a gay decent man." " Gay luck."

Also considerable. "A gay while" — a considerable time.

** A gay bit oflT"— a good distance. — Gay, preceding some

other word, is very common in Northumberland; as gay and

fat, gay and strong, gay and late. See Gain.

Last morning I was gay and early out.

Ramtay, Gentle She^erd.

Gean, Geen, the wild cherr3^ Pruntu avium, Fr. guigne.
Gear, stock, property, or wealth of any kind. "A vast o*

gear" Sax. geara, provision, furniture.— Gears, or Geers,

draught or cart horse trappings.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

GESL 131

GsoK, V, to toss the head scornluUy. Teut. ghecken, deridere.

GflCK, «• sconiy derision^ contempt. ** Dinna ye mak yor geek
o' me,"— 2>»r.

Gjsd, a name for the pike in the Northeip parts of Northumber-
* land.. Isl. gaedda. Dan. gedde* Swed. g^^a.

Gbb^ an afironty stubbornness. '' She took the gee^* — she be-
came pettish and unmanageable., A friend, conversant with
the lanipiagey thinks it probable that this word is the prefix ge^
of some Saxon descendant of opiniatret^, thus used in abbre-
iriationv Dr. Jamieson,. however, refers, to IsL geigr, geigt
oflfensa, pemides.

Gfli^VLE, or Gavel, the gable end of a house or building. Su.^
Qqt. gqfwek IsL gafi.

Geld, to deprive any thing femtde of the power of generation.
Thill is its old meaning, and is so used by Shakspeare in the
Winter's Tale, when Antigonus threatens his three daughters.
But there is another sense of the word; as a geld cow, a geld
ewe; by no fneans implying that the animab have been spayed,
but simply that they are not with young. Germ, gelte, barren
'-Tg^ff Mf a f^w not with calC

Geld, to crack ; as green wood is apt to do* See Gell.

Geld, a tax; or imposidon ; a pure Saxon word, still retained in
tun^-geldf or neaf-^eld, the rate paid for the agistment of cattl^.

Gell, to crack or splits; to fly open with heat or dryness, as is
often the case with particular kinds of wood, such as holly,
box, &c.. So the earth, in very dry weather, is said to geK,
Isl. geil, fisaura, ruptura.

Gentles, maggots or grubs, used by anglers as bait for fishing.

Geordie, Geoige-^ very common name among the pitmen.
**How! Geordie jnsokl howis't?"

Geslin, or Gbsling, a gosling. Su.-Got. goatling, Sc. gaislin.
To make the gosling leave the shell, at hatching time, the far-
mer's^ wife burns an old shoe, by way of a charm.

Geslin, the beautiful early blossom of the willow — appearing
about the same time as the geslin, or young goose. It is
/abled that these blossoms, falling into a river, become goslings.

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132 GEW-G

Gbw-gaw, a jew'a harp, the Scotch trump. Swed. giga. Tuy-
lor, the Water Poet, says, that he knew a great man expert
upon this instrument.

GiBB, a hook.— GiBBttN, Gibby, Gibby-otick, a walking slick
with a hook, or the top bent down for a handle; aaut hook.
Lat. gibbus, convcidy crooked.

Gib-fish, the milter of the salmon. See some cnrions infiarm*-
tion concerning it, in the North Country Angler, p. 39 & seq.

Giblets, " the parts of a goose which are cut off before it is
roasted," Todd's John. Experienced restaurateurs, however,
inform me that it is the inside as wdl. Old Fr. gibdez. But
see Thomson. In Newcastle they call what is taken from <»ie
goose, a pair of gibletg. At Christmas, hardly any peraoo,
however poor, is without a giblet pie,

GiBRALTAB^RocK, vducd swectmcat— HBold in lumps resembling
a rock. It is also known in Scotland; and had its origin
from the Rock of Gibraltar, immediately after that place was
so successfully defended by General Eliot, against the com-
bined forces of France and Spain. Both English and Scots
have a singular predilection for naming things after great
events or great men.

GiE, the Northern form of give. V. Jamieson, vo. gif.

Gip, if. A pure Saxon word; still retained in our Northern
language. H. Tooke says, it is the imperative of the Godiic
and An^o-Saxon verb gifan,

GiFF-GAFF, interchange of discourse^ mutual donation and re-
ception. Hence, the proverb, " Giff-gqf makes good fellow-
ship."

Gifts, white specks on the finger nails — ^presages of felidty, not
always realized. V. Brand's Pop. Antiq. Vol. II. p. 639.

Gig, a long, slender, light pleasure boat on the Tyne.

GiGLOT, a giddy, laughing girl. Shakq>eare, after Chaucer, has
it in a worse sense-^a wanton wench. This latter meaning is
supported by Sax. geagle, lasdvus.

GiGOT, or JiGOT, a joint of mutton — ^part of the leg. Fr. gigot.

Gilder^ Gildebt, a snare, made of horse hair or small wire, for

Digitized by VjOOQIC

GIN 133

catching Inrds. 8wed. gUier, gai» oiare. See Bewick's out
of the Tawny Bn&tiiig. GUer, for deceiver, occurs in
Chauc^.

Gnx, a small valley or dell ; properly a narrow glen with ste^
and rocky banks on each side^ and with a runner of water at
the bottom. Isl. gil, fissura montium. The term is often
found as a local designation in the North of England, where,
as Dr. Jamieson conjectures, it may have been left by the
Danes, who occupied Northumberland. .

GiLLABER, to chatter nonsense. ''What are you giBabering
about ?" a true old Northumbrian expression. Germ, geldckter,
laughter, has been given to me as a probable etymon.

GiLSE, a species of salmon. Said to be one not fully grown«

Gilt, a spayed pig. See Geld : also. Jam. Supp. gait.

GiMELL, or GnofiiJi^ a double tree ; so called by woodmen. The
gimnud'nng will occur to most readers.

GmucK, a gimlet — said to be tiie invention of Daedalus. — Gim-
LiCK-ETE, a squint, vulgo,. coc^-e^e^-^robably from being «?
twitt.

GiMMER, a female sheep from the first to the second shearing.
Su^Grot. gimmer, ovicula, quae primum outitur. Ihre^—
Gelt-gimmeb, a barren ewe.— Gimmer-lamb, a ewe lamb.

Gdcmer, a contemptuous term for a woman among the lower
orders in Newcastie. Q. Dut. gemalen, a wife ?

Gimp, or Jimp, neat, handsome, slim in person, elegant of shape.
Welch, gwi^mp, pretty.

Gin, if. y. Ray, and Tooke. O gin, is an expression of great
admiration in Scotiand.

Gin a body meet a body.
Ganging to the well ;
Gin a body kiss a body.
Should a body tell?

North, version of. Coming through the Rye*
Oginmj love were yon red rose.
That grows upon the castle wa\
And I mysel* a drap o' dew.
Into her bonnie breast to &' l^-^cotti^ Battad,

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134 GINN

GiNNinrJHV-A^BiUJNo,g«witffl to a tAifiing— the confident wager
of the NorthemJKiMgA/f of the Cleaver-^

That noble trade
That demi-godfl and heroes made.

GiBD» GuRD, a hoop. Sax. gyrdel, cingulum.

GiRDLEy a drcular iron plate, with a bow handle on which thin
and broad cakes of bread are baked. Sax. gyrdel. Su.-Got.
grissel, V. Ihre. , In more simple times a slate, called a back-
stone, was used for the purpose; and in Yorkshire they still
have a girdle stone for baking their oat cakes upon.

Girdle-cake, thin household bread baked on a girdle. The
lagana of the ancient Welsh. V. Itinerary of ArchWshop
Baldwin, by Sir R. C. Hoare, VoL II. p. 293, and note.

GiRN, the Northern word for grin; and so given in our old dic-
tionaries.

The ddl »t gini^ff iHhe neuk.--J?ofl^ ^ CfV0X;i£ J>».

GiRNiGAW, the cavity of the mouth. Gaumen is German for the
palate or roof of the mouth— farobably, therefore, gim and
gaum^^giming so as to show ii. A lady has favoured me
with the following Northumbrian riddle— solution, eating a
doe,

Black'm, saut'm, rough'm, glower'm, saw,
Click^m, gatt'm, ilang'm into gtmigaw.

Girt, the vulgar orthography oi great, ** Girt and small."

GisTiNo, the feeding of cattle, which, in some places, are called
gisements; the tythe due for the profit made by such gisting,
where neither the land nor the cattle otherwise pay any thing
— agistment. The word may be referred' to old Fr. gwfc,
demeure, habitation, endroit ou Ton couche. V. Roquefort.

Give, to beat, to punish. " My sangs, FU give it you."

GfVE, to yield; as the frost does when it thaws.

Give ower. Give ower now, the ha^ done of the North.

GiZEN, to open, to crack, to pine. An empty cask exposed to
the sun is liable to gizen. Isl. gisinn, hiulcus.

GizzERN, the gizzard. The old mode of spelling. Fr. gesier.

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GLIF 135

OlaID, or GL£D,'8moodi> easy in motion* V. Jamieson, glad.

Glakt, giddjy unsteady, frolicsome. Sc. glaikit.

Glare, Glair, Glaur, Glore, dirt, filth, puddle.

Glave, smooth. Lat. gfaber* Hence, glavering^ an old word
for flattering.

Glaver, or Glaiver, to talk foolishly or heedlessly. Germ.
kXaffeUy to chatter, to prate, to babble.

Glazener, a glazier* Very conunon among the vulgar. The

. Dutch say glaazemaker,

Glbad, a kite-^the fork-tailed falcon. Falco mlvus, linn.
Sax. glida, Su.-Grot. glada, milvus. Sc gled.

Glee, Gley, Glead, to squint. V. Ray. The soubriquet of
^ Gflei^d Argyll" was given to a celebrated Scottish Marquess
— ^from his having a squint or cast in his eyes.

Gleek, to deceive or beguile. In this sense is to be read the
expression from Shakspeare, *^ I can gleek upon occasion,"
misinterpreted by Hanmer and Pope, to joke, or scoff; and
given as an example, in Todd's Johnson, under ** to sneer,"
to gibe, to droll upon. Mr. Lambe, on this passage, sensibly
remarks, that, ** a fool may utter rustic jokes or scoffs; but it

' requires some small share of art or wisdom, to beguile or de-
ceive." The word seems analogous to Germ, gleichen, to
counterfeit.

Gleg, v. to glance, or rather to look sharp.-* Gleg, o. quick,
clever, adroit. Isl. gloggr, acutus, perspectus.

For gkg's the glance which lovers steaL— 02i Song.

Gleg, slippery; smooth, so as to be easily moved. It is abo

used in the sense of voluble — ^glib.
Glen, a narrow valley, a depression between hills. Sax. glen,

glene, Welsh, g/yn/ and so written in Domesday. Gael.

gleann.
Glbnt, V, to look aside, to glance, to peep. Isl. gfenna, pan-

dere,
GLBZ9T, «. an indistinct or oblique view, a glance.
Guff, a slight or transient view, a glimpse, a fright. Isl. gUa,

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1^ GUM

to shine. ^£h! whAt ^gUffTdgettmih the kirk gaHh,^^

neet now !"
' GuHE, to glance slyly, to look out at the corner of an eye.
GuNT, V, to glance, to shine. — Glint, #. a glance.
GusK, a faint view, a transient light, a glimpse.
Gloaming, twilight at morning or evening. Sax. glomung,glom'

mungy crepusculum. Y. Lye.
Gloar, Glore, to gaze, or stare. See Glower.
Gloppen, to startle, to surprise, to astonish. Isl. gloprj stultus,

is supposed by Mr. Todd, and others, to be the origin ; but is

not Germ, gktpen, to behold or r^ard one with a malicious

mien, more nearly allied ? — Glovpened, astonished, frightened.
Glottening, a temporary melting of snow or ice, not succeeded

by a thaw.
Glower, v. to gaze or stare with dilated eyes. Teut. gluyeren,

to look asquint.— Glower, s. a broad impudent stare.
Glumps, sulkiness. Chaucer has glombe, and Skelton glum, —

Glumpt, sullen or sour looking. Allied to this is glouping,

remaining silent or stupid.
Gob, the mouth — a quantity, a lump, a mouthM.
Gob-stick, a spoon. This word would seem to imply a vulgar

origin; but I suspect it is legitimately to be derived from

Gothic gaepstock. V. Kennett's Gloss, yo. gappe*
GoB-AND-GUTS LIKE A T0I7NG CRAW, a low burlcsque expression^

dealt out i^ ignorant people, too fond of talking. Of the same

kind is, no guts in your brains — gross stupidity ^unaUe to

digest an idea. The Germans have a similar colloquial phras^

/er hat keine grutxe im kopfe,
GoBBET, a lump of meat — ^that which may be put into the go6 or

mouth. — Raw-gobbet, an unfledged bird. FiguraHvefy, an

uncultivated, or uneducated person.
GoFF, a foolish clown. Skinner gives gofyihe as an old word

equivalent to stultus, fetuus. I may add, from Cotgrave, old

Fr. goffe^ dull, doltish, blockish.
GoKE, Gowk, the core of an apple, the yolk of an egg— the inner

part of any thing.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

GOTH 137

Ooi;dspink^ the goldfinch. Fring^la cardueUt, Teut* goucU
vmcke.

OohL, to strike, to blow with ^lence. ** How the wind goUs
against the windows." V. Jam* gotoL

GoLLANy GrOWLANy QowBN, a jdlow flower, conunon in moist
meadows — a goiden one.

GojJiAB) GoLLEBy o, to shout, to Speak in a boisterous or mena-
cing manner, to storm. Grerm. groUen, to murmur. Ital. gola
-«-in the phrase, gridare quanta se n*ha neUa gola, to cry out
very loud.

Qoujlsl, GoLLBBy s, the bluster of an enraged or dissatisfied per-
son — the snarl or growl of a dog.

GoNBiLL, or GoNNERiL, a half-wit, a dunce. V. Jam. gomrtU,

GoNNBRHEAD, a stupid persou, a dunce. See Goneux.

GoopuKE, well favoured. My firiend, Mr. Taylor, suspects it is
classical* though not in Todd's Johnson. It is common in the
North, and is certainly a good word.

OooDUKB^oi^GHT, good in appearance only. ^^ There's many
A goodUke nought in the world**

GooDHAN, the husband or master of the house. Sc. gudeman,--^
GooDWOiuK, the wife or njistress.

Gob, Gore, dirt— any thing rotten or decayed. Pure Saxon.

GoBBiT, GoBBiN, an unfledged bird. — Raw Gorbit, or Gorbin,
applied, as a term of contempt, to a forward pert young lad.

GoRCOQK, the red grouse, or moor cock. Tetrao Scoticus. , La-
tham. This kind of game is plentiful in the elevated heathy
parts of the northern counties of England, as well as in the
Highlands of Scotland.

GossAiiER, ** down of plants, cobwebs, or rather vapour arising
firom boggy or marshy ground, in warm weather."»-Craven
Glossary ; where there is an excellent article on the etymon of
this wor4.

Gotham, a cant name for the ** famous old town" of If ewcastle. '
Barb. Lat. gottictUf with the Romans, was a Goth and a sim-
pleton, v. Thomson*

GoTHERLY, kind, sociable. '* The ewe is gotherly with its lamb."

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138 GO-TO

Go-TO-BBD-AiviiooNy goat's beard. Tragopogan fn'otense. This
Is one of those plants Which, by an inyaiiable law of natnre,
perfonns its constant vigilue, by closing its leaves about noon.
Hence its popular name.

GowDy GowDTy a toy or play-thing. V. Todd's John. gaud.

GowDBR, an obscene term ; borrowed, I imag^e, from the inter-
course of foxes. Hence the name of Growdy-chare, in New-
castle; once the receptacle of a class of **Y&ry dangerous,
though not very tempting, females,*'

Gowk, the cuckoo. Sax. g^c, cuculus. Su.-Grot. goek. Me-
iaphoricaUy^ a fool or simpleton. Swed. g&ck. Teut. ghecky
8tultus« Gokjfy in both senses, occurs in Pdrs Ploughmian.
In some parts of Yorkshire, it is cowJcy in the same accepta-
tion. A grindle c<noky is a worn down grindstone, sometimes
used as a stool in the cottages of the poor.

GrowK's-ERRAND, a fool's emuid. y. Brand's Pop. Antiq. Vol.
I. p. 123.

GowK-sPiT, or CucKOO-spiT, white frothy matter, seen on certain
plants in the spring — coincident with the appearance of the
cuckoo— containing the fit)th worm. Tetiigonia ipumaria.
So called horn an ancient belief that it is the spUtie of the
gowkf or cuckoo,

GowL^ to threaten in a kind of hou^ Isl. gola, ululare.

GowPBN, the hollow of the hand, contracted in a semicircular
form to recdve any thing— a handful.»-GowFEN-FULL, is also
used in the latter sense. IsL gaupn, Su.-Got. ^a^n, nanus
concava.

GowPBNs, both hands held together in form of a round Vessel,
^' Ck>ld in gowpeni'-^aa much gold as both hands united can

. hold.

GowsTY, dreary, frightful, ghastly, ghostly . It is fi-equently used
as signifying, dismal or uncomfortable, and so applied to a
dwelling-house without ceiling, &c. ^ What a gowity hole he
lives in." Scgousty.

GrowsTT, windy, stormy. In this sense we may refer to Isl.
gioitr, ventus frigidus.

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GRAW 139

Gmm, to sdze. *"! grabbed lam,'* I got hpid of him. '*!

made a grab at him/' I attempted to seize him. Swed. grabba,

to grasp.
CrRACEwnKy an old provincial name for a midwife; still retained

by the vulgar. Mied to French, gro$9e Jemme.
Gradely, decently, orderly. Sasi, gradygrade^otdo^ Ralher,

my jfriendt I^- Turner, says, from Sax. geradUc^ upright.

Gradehf^ in Lane, he observes, is an adjective signifying every

thing resp^table. The Lancashire people say, our canity is

nothing to it.
Oraiuno, a flight M of hail just to cover the ground.
Grain, a branch; properly that which is grown. Hence, com

(general]y)-*.*hence, also, a branch OocaUy)— whence, by asso-
ciation, the grains or branches of a fork. The gram of the

wood, the growing— the Erection in which it grows. Su.-

Got.gren, ramus.
Grain, Gramb^ to groan. Sax. graman, gemere, lamentarL
Graith, v. to dothe, or fbmish with any thing suitable. Sax.

geradian. — Graith, «. the trapping of a horse.
Gratthino, clothing— «ny furnishing or equipment. Sax.

gertsde.
Grandt, Granny, grandmother. Old Eng. granwxm. Sc.

graimie*
Grange, a bam, or granary. Originally the store-house for com

belonging to the lord of a manor, or to a monastery. Fr.

grange. Law Lat. grangia^ from granum,
Grankv, complaining-— neither well nor ill. See Cranky.
Grape, v, to feel. Sax. grapian. See an amusing article in

Moor, vo. grope.'^Vork, gripe. Sc graip,
GsAPB, Gripe, s. a fork with three prongs for filling rough dung.

Su.-Grot. grepe, trldens. Sc. graip. It is the Saxon myjc-

fore, and classical trident.
Grave, to dig, to break up ground with a spade. V. Watson.
Grawsome, Growsome, ugly, frightfrd. Derived by Dr. Willan

from groivse, to be chill ; to shiver, or to tremble with horror.

But Swed. grqfveligy dreadful, dismal, would have been a

Digitized by VjOOQIC

140 GREA

preferable etymon. The correspondent term in Danish it gru^

iom, cruel, inhiiman.
CrBEAT, (often pronounced Greet), intimate, familiar. Sc grU.

TbSm word, which now appears very vulgar, was used by the

most polite m the time of Eliiabeth. See Fuller^s Worthies,

Derbyshire, Edit. Nichols, p. S59.
Gree, v. to agree, to live in amity. Old Fr. gretr^ ** Law's

costly ; tak a pint and gree.**
Gbbb, 8. pre-eminence, superiority. ^ To bear the gtee^* to be

victorious, to gain the prize.
Greedt-out, a voracious eater. Dan. graadig, greedy, glutton-
bus, voracious. The double aa, in Danish, sounds like o.
Grbeot-houmim, hungry persons— having, as it were, the cmune

i^petite.
GreeN'^bone, the gar-fish, or needle-fish ; taken on the coast of

Northumberland. The bones are green ; hence the name.'
Green-table, the laige table in the Guildhall, of Newcastle; so

called from its being covered with green doth.
Greenet, the green grosbeak. Le Verdier, Bufibn.
Grbes, stairs or steps. V. Ray; and Todd's John, gree^ 3d

sense.
Greet, to cry, to weep aloud.^QRAT, wqit. Sax. grtBdan^

damare, flere. Dan. gnede, to weep, to cry. Swed. grito, to

weep: gr^^, wept.
Gret-beabd, a stone jar, or earthen jug. The same as Gbet-

HEN. y. Thomson, gray^ard.
Gbet-hen, a large stone bottle. Often used on the borders for

holding such " flattering unction" as is never meant to see the

face of the exdseman. Fr. bouteiUe de gres, a stone bottle.

In Scotland it is tappU hen,
Gbby-hen, the female of the black-cock. Also the name of a

certain description of pear.
Grey-linnet, the common linnet FringUla canabiiuu
Grey-stones, coarse mill stones, for common meal — ^from the

colour of the fi*ee stone ; in opposition to the Blu&«tonbs, for

finer meal, made of the whinstone. The one kind bruises the

Digitized by VjOOQIC

GROA 141

grain more into flakes; the other grinds it more into small
powder.

GuMB, to mark or daub with soot. This is the only prop^;
meaning of this Shakspearian word.^-GRiMiNO«isyhoweTer,
sometimes used, per antithesis^ for a slight coyer of snow,— *
GRDfTy sooty.

Grip, to grasp fast by the hand. Sax. gripan, to gripe. Swed.
gripa, to catch, to seize, to lay hold of.

Grip, or Groop, the space where the dung lies in a cow<Ji6use^
haling double rows of stalls; that is, the opening or hollow
between them. Also a small ditch, or open drain in a field.
Sax. grcEp, a trench or sink. Teut. grippe^ groepe, sulcus.

Grippt, mean, avaricious, hardly honest. Sax. gripend% rapiens,
catching, griping*

Groaning, a mother^s pangs in the ^ trying hour'' — the crying <mt^

Groanino-cakb, the cake provided in expectation of an increase
in a fimiily. It seems firom time immemorial to have been
viewed as an object of superstition, and persons have been
known to keep a piece for many years.

Groaning<;hair, the chair in which the matron sits to receive
visits of congratulation. This is, as a writer in the Gent.
Mag. observes, ** a kind q£ female owxtion due to every good
woman who goes through such eminent perils in the service of
her country." Formerly the lady was placed in a groaning
chair to assist parturition. It is still, I am told, so used on
the continent; and is called in Danish forldsning stoel, deli-
very chair.

Groanmno-cheese, or the Sick Wife's Cheese, a huge Cheshire
cheese provided on the same occasion as the cake. I under-
stand a slice of the first cut laid under the pillow, enables
young damsels to dream of their lovers, particularly if pre-
viously tossed in a certain nameless part of the midwife's appa-
rd. In all cases it must be pierced with three pins, taken
firom the child's pincushion. There was a time, my old nurse
informed me, when duldren were drawn through a hole cut in
the groamng-cheese, on the day they were christened.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

14)1 GROA

Groats, oats with the hulls taken off, but ungrouncL Sax.
gruiy grout. GroaU were fonnerly much used in the North of
England; especially in the composition of black puddings.
Hence the proverb, ^ blood without groaU is nothing;" mean-
ing that fimiily without fortune is of no consequence. A
street in Newcastle^-the andent and accustomed place for the
sale of meal and groats*— is still called the G^roo^maricet.
Grobblb» to make holes. Grerm. grublein, a little hole.
Groin, Gruin, the snout of a pig. Groine, used by Chaucer in
The Pertones Tale, has the same signification. Fr. grotn.
Among the vulgar the word is applied to the nose.
Groser, Grozer, a gooseberry. Fir. groteUle. Lat. grosiuhu
Groves, the refuse of tallow, made into thick cakes fuid used as

food for dogs. It is grave* in the South.
Grow, to be troubled. — Growze, to be chill before an ague fi^
to shudder. Su.-Got. grt^wa, h(HTere. Dan. gme, finght,
trembling.
Grumphet, Grumft, sour, ill-natured, out of humour. — Qrum-

PHEY, is also a name for a pig — adopted from gruniing*
Grumphet, a species of jostling among school-boys, in endea-

vouiing to hide any thing which one takes firom anothor.
Grund, the Korthem form of ground. It is the same in the
andent Grothic, Danish, and Swedish languages. The word
is often a{^lied to a place of retirement. Countrymen have a
sad custom of ganging to the grund, instead of a cabinet <f
auance. Church-yards, even, are not fi'ee firom this pollution.
Guest, a ghost, or spectre. Sax. gait, gaast, Sc. gaitt. The
streets of Newcastle, according to an old tradition, were
haunted by a nightiy guest, assuming the shape of a dog, calf,
or pig, to the no small terror of those who were afraid of such
apparitions. The most laughable and mischievous gambols
are represented to have been performed in the neighbourhood
of the old ** Dog-loup-stairs;" but probably only, at times.

When church-yards yawn, and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this wotld.-^hak. HanUet.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

HACK 143

GuESTmNG, an hospitable welcome— a wann rec^tion. Isl.
^ting, hospitum. Sc. gesning, gettmng*

GmiAPATy or GuiLE-TATy a wort-tub. Dut. gyUcuip.

GuisERS, persons who dance in masks, or with their faces black-
ened, or discoloured, and in rustic disguises; a custom d
great antiquity. Teut. gu^te^etter, sannio. Sc. gtftards*
These guUert are still to be seen, espedaUy at the viellsvp-
pers, given at harvest home, though their numbers have con-*
siderably diminished of late years.

Gullet, Gullt, a laige knife used in farm-houses, principally to
cut bread, cheese, &c, for the fiunily. Perhaps, originally a
butcher's, for the gullet. Another meaning of gullt — a
ditch, or hollow — ^has been pointed out to me by several lite^
rary friends ; but in this sense the word is not unknown in our
lexicography, and is well authorized.

GuLUON, a mean wretch. V. Jam. Supp. It is also a term for
a drunkard. The &ble of the thirsty ghost of Ghillion drink-
ing the river Acheron dry, is told with considerable humour in
one of Bishop Hall's Satires. '

GuMSHON, Gumption,! common sense, combined with energy;
shrewd intelligence; a superior understanding. A writer in
the Gent. Mag. in reviewing Mr. Wilbraham's Cheshire Glos-
sary, calls this a slang word. On the contrary, it is an excel-
lent word, of high antiquity — referred by Dr. Jamieson to
Mce.-Got. gatm-jany perdpere.

G'tet, a common pronunciation of Gate; which see.

Hace:, a strong pick-axe, or hoe used in agriculture. Dan.
hakke, a mattock. HacJua occurs in old Latin instruments, in
the sense of an axe. The ancient Saxon weapon — ^with
which the British chiefs were murdered by the command of
Hengist*~was called handeax*

Digitized by VjOOQIC

144 HACK

Hacked, chapped, or chopped; nakd of frofit-bitten hands.

Had, Haud, hold. Sc, hidd, ** Had your tongue"-4)e sileiiL

Had awayI Haud awat! go wrvi^'-^hold on your way — a
term of encouragement, peculiar, I believe, to the North.

Hadfash, Haudfash, plague* trouble* ^ Sic a ha4fashJ*

Hafflb, to waver, to speak unintelligibly, to prevaricate. But.
hakkeien, to falter. — Haffuno, confused talk.

Hag, o. to cut or hack.'-Cumb, and part of ForiEr.-^HAG, «. a
cutting of copse wood. Swed. hygge^ felling of trees.

Hag, a wood^-generally one into which cattle are admitted.

Hag, a sink or mire in mosses — any broken ground in a bog.
Dr. Jamieson properly refers to the act oi cutting.

Hag, a white mist ; something similar to dag; which see.

Hagberry, Hbckbebry, the beautiful flowering shrub— the bird-
cherry. Prunut padtu, Swed. h&ggeMr.

Haogab^maker's Shop, a cant name for a public*house.

Haggis, or (as generally pronounced) Haggish, a North country
dish — ^the national olio of Scotland; for a commendation and
history of which see Dr. Hunter's Culina Famulatrix Medi-
ans. See, also. Bums' address To a Haggit; and Jam.
Supp. vo, haggiet. It was, till lately, a common custom among
the peasantry in the North of England, to have this fare to
break&st every Christmas-day; and some part of the&mily
sat up all night to have it ready at an early hour. It is now
used at .dinner on the same day. Sold, savoury and hot, in the
Newcastle market.

Haggish, an opprobrious epithet for a female — partaking, as it
were, of the nature of a hag; or, perhaps, a corruption of
baggage. The term is sometimes applied to the male sex.

Haghes, the fruit of the hawthorn — haws, Teut. haeghe,

Hagmena, the same as Hoghena; which see.

Hao-worm, the common snake^-4rom the place in which it is
found. CdubertuUrw*

Hain, to save, to preserve; as, haining wood; haining land;
haining a new suit of clothes. See an ingenious, and yet sa-
tisfactory, etymon in Jamieson.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

HALSf 145

Hak£, to loiter, to lounge, to sneak. Germ, haken, a hook-^
clinging to present otjects? Thus we say of a loiterer, that
he hangi about.

Halfbrs! an exclamation among children, viewed as entitling
the person making ^it to half, or half the yalue, of any thing
found by his companion. If, however, the finder be quick, he
exclaims ^ no halfers — ^findee keepee, lossee seekee," which
destroys the claim, and gives him the sole right to the pro-'
perty.

And he who sees you stoop to th* ground.
Cries halves I to ev'ry thing youVe found.

Savage, Horace to Scceva imitated.

Half-rocked-innocent, a fool--supposed to arise from having
been only half rocked in the cradle when an infant.

Hallabaloo, Hillgbaloo, a noise, an uproar, a clamour. A
friend suggests a curious derivation— At//oa-^t&/-^o»/

Hallb ^en, or Halloween, All Hallow Even, tlie vig^ of All
Saints' Day, on which it is customary with young people in
the North of England to dive for apples, or catch at them
when stuck upon one end of a kind of hanging beam, at the
other extremity of which is fixed a lighted candle, and that
with their mouths only, thdr hands being tied behind their
backs, y. Brand's Pop. Antiq. Vol. L p. 300.

Hallen, Hollin, the comer at the entry into the house by
meant of the heek-door'-^the partition or screen between the
door and the fire-place. Germ, hehleuy to conceal.

Hallion, a common term of reproach — a reprobate.

HALMOT-oounT, the court of a copyhold manor. It was that
court. among the Saxons, which we now call a court baron;
and the etymology is from the meetiitg of the tenants in one
hall or manor — Sax. heall, aula, and gemote, conventus. The
name is still kepi up in the county of Durham, in the Bishop's
msnorsh Writers have sometimes mistaken this court for the
Hidjtm0te, or holy or ecclesiastical court; nor ought the
rcider to confound these popyholders with the Eafywercfplk,

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146 HALO

or Aofy work piople^ who enjoyed lands by the tenure of rc"
pairing or defending a church or sepulchre. Such, in particu-
lar, were those within the bishopric of Durham, who were
under an obligation to defend the corpse of St. Cuthbert, and
who clauned for such pious labour the privilege of not being
forced to go out of the diocese, dther by the King or by the
Bishop.
Halow, shy, bashful, scrupulous.— JLanc. V. Todd's Johnson.
Hamb, home. A pure old word, from Sax. ham, used for a place

of dwelling, or a village, or town.
Hambhacle, to &sten the head of an animal to one of its hams,
or forelegs. Vicious cows and oxen are often so tied, especially
when driven to slaughter.
Han, for have, in the plural. This old contraction ^of haven is ■

not obsolete, as stated by Dr. Johnson.
Hancle, a great many. Thought to be a corruption of handful.

But see Hantle.
Handy, a small Wooden vessel of a cylindrical form, made of -
staves hooped together, one of them bdng of greater length
than the others, and serving for a handle. ' Called elsewhere
^piggin.
Hangerel, a stick in a butcher's shop on which to hang an ox

by the hind legs.
Hangment. To play the hangmeni, to be much enraged— -to play

the very deuce. A cant term.
Hank, v. to fasten, to form into hanks or skdns. — Hank, «; a
skein of thread, a rope or latch for festening a gate. Lsl. hank,
a collar or chain. To keep a good hank upon your horse, is to
have a good hold of the reins. To make a ravelled hank, to -
put any thing into confusion.
Hank, a habit. Primarily a chain or band.
Hankle, to twist— to entangle thread, silk, or worsted.
Hanniel, a loose, disorderly fellow— one not to be trusted:
Hansel, or Handsel^ the first money recdved for the sale of
goods, an earnest g^en on hiring a servant. The fish women
and hucksters in Newcastle regularly spit upon what they first

Digitized by VjOOQIC

IflARN 147

Teceive in a morning to render it propitious and lucliy — ^that it
may draw more money to it. Su.«Got. handtoel, merdmonii
divenditi primitise. V. Ihre. The Germans employ their

. twin-expression handkaitf, in identically a correspondent mean-
ing. Hansel is also the^r«^ use of any thing. ^ HatuePd the
new font." Forcett Register, 1646.

Hansel-Monday, the first Monday in the New Year; when it is
customary to make children and servants a present. Huloet

' ' defines handnU, ** a new year's gift."

Hantle, much, piany, a great deaL 8wed» antal. Germ, anzahlj
a great number.

Hanty, wanton, unruly, restive. Grose. See, also, Ray.

Hap, to cover warmly, as in bed. Sax. heapean, to heap upon.

Happen, Happens, perhaps, possibly, it may be.

Happing, a coarse covering, a rough rug for a bed. Hap-harloty

' a coverlet for a servant, is a very old word. There is an
ancient popular distich in Newcastle, in allusion to the cele-
brated Roger Th<;||!iton — one of its most wealthy merchants
and greatest bene&ctors — ^who, it is said, arrived there literally
. in the situation deicribed —

At the Weat^te came Thornton in,

With a htipphigf a hal^nny, and a lambskin.

In Stowe's transcHpt of Ldand's Itinerary, there is a different
version of the couplet'—

In at the West-Gate came Thornton in,
^ With a Ju^pen hapt in a ram's skynn.

Hard-corn, wheat or maslin in the grass state. Probably from

being sown before winter.
Harden, to grow dear, ** The market hardens**
Hardleys,' scarcely, hardly. Universal among the vulgar.
Hare, or Harr, a mist or thick fog. Probably from Sax. har,

hare, hoar. Ray has harl, a mist. V. Skinner, a sea harr.
Harn, or Harden, a term for coarse linen cloth. Perhaps,

originally, a literary friend conjectures, from Germ, hdaren,
•■ naade of hair ; as brewers' aprons sometimes are.

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143 HABW

Habns, brainB. \ Used only in the plural. V. Todd'fl Johafoii.
}Iarp, to be constantly dwelling on one to^i^ to repeat a thing

incessantly, tQ grumble. -
Harrt, to rob, to plunder, to oppress. Sax. hereon, to liarrow,

to pillage. Swed. hStja, to ravage, to lay waste. The word^

in this sense, is by no means confined to Scotland, as Dr.

Johnson supposed. It is common in Northumberland %nd

Purham ; particularly as applied to the taking of a bird's nest ;

and being used by Milton, ought to be considered as claawcal

English,

The Saxons with perpetual landings and invasions harried
, the Soiith coast o£BnUdiL~:-intt.dfEng. B. ILp. 108.

HARRroAUD, a blackguard sort of person. Ray says, a wild
girl; but, I think, I never heard it applied to a female. *

Habs. The two ends of a gate in Northumberland are'called the
hars^ and the bars the xelmi, Hodgson's History, Part IT.,
Vol. L, p. 86. ; ^

Habstane, Harstone, the hearth-«tone of a cottage*

Haruhstarum, Harumscarum, wild, unsettled-— running after»
you know not whati '< Germ.* A«rtf»t-<cAar, a wandering troop ;
plural, «cAarm, vagabonds.

Hasq, a sloven, one who does not know how to act or behave
with propriety — a silly talkative person. In 1655, Henry
Hedle}' was fined 3s. 4d. for calling Willian Johnson, one of
the stewards of the incorporated company of Bricklayers and
Plasterers, a slavering hash, V. M'Kenzie's Hist, of Newc,

p:7oo.^'

Hask, coarse, harsh, rough, parched. Germ, hayseh, rough —
with the common suppression of the r. A ha^ rvmd is keen
and jparching^ ' Hask-Ups are parched lips. The >vord is also
applied to the sense of feeling, when any thing from its touch
appears unpleasantly dry or hard. ; Coarse worsted is hask to
the feeling. , Husky is cognate — the husk of a nut— the rough

; envelopement.

Hassock, a reed, or rush; hence, a stool or oqfhioq tQ kneel

Digitized by VjOOQIC

HAY.M 149

tfpoQ at dioroh, is called « basaock. &m. vau^ a niBli, and
tick, a sack. There is a tract of .land adjoining the Tyne,
near Dunston, called the Hassocks, which, it is probable, was

• once covered with hassocks. < 8k John jSwinbume informs me,
that hassock is used on the moors. for a tuft of rushes, or
coarse grass, in very soft' boggy ground. *

Hather, Hether, heath. '' ^a/Aer:-b'uzzomfl^'— -besoms made of
heath. ^ ** HetherAydV'^the heath-blossom. ^

Haugh, low, flat, or marshy 'ground by the side of a river, liable
to be overflowed. IsL kagi, ager pascuus.

Haunch,^.Hainch, to throw; as a stone from the hand, by jerk-
ing it against the haunch.

HAUSE/the neck, the throat. A very old word. Sax. Dan. and
Germl^hi^. ** It's down the wrang bauseJ^

Haver, v, ,to talk foolishly, to speak without thought. Isl.
g^rOf blaterare.— Havers, #. silly discourse, idle bantering
nonsense, v t, .

Dinna deave the gentleman' wil your haven.'^Iledgaunikt,

Haver, i. oats. Dan. havre. Swed. hafre. Dut. Juner. ^

Haver^bread, large, round, thin oaten cakes, baked on a girdle.
Swed. 7i<;/rriUu(a, oat cake.

Haver-meal, oatmeal. Swed. kafren^^L Teut. haveren meek

Haversack, a bag in whicb oatmea^ is carried. This is the
origiD of the haversacks of soldiers«-*used formerly for carrying
theii* haver-meal.

Hateril, a sort of fool, a half* wit. From haver; whidi see;

Hawk, to expectorate. Welsh, hochi^ to tiirow up phlegm.
Shakspeare uses " AflM^Ariwof or. spitting.'*

Hat-making* When hay is first cut, it is called a ewede^ or
swathe; which is in fact the grass swayed to one side by die
scythe. Germ, sekwadeny a row of new mowed hay. • Dut.
xwade. When it is spread out it is named a teed (properly a
tad J ; and when dried ready for gathmng, a whkn^rim^vmd'
wwifvtwwi^TWM* It is next put into c6cks»*8evend of which
are edlected into what is called a Ayfe. Fr*.cii«iffs gatbeied.

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150 HAZE

' When these again are heaped so hig^ as to require' a pike to
lift tiie hay to the top of the heap, it is called a pike.

Haze, to drizzle, to be foggy. V. Ray's North C. Words.

Hazb-gazb, wonder, astonishment — a state in.- which one sees
dimly and confusedly, as through a haze.

Hbald, or Hbal, to lean or incline to one side, to bend laterally.
Sax. hyldan, indinare, dedinare.

Heam, H'yem, home. Dan. fiiem, Swed. hem. See Haxe.

HBAMS,.or Heamsticks, two pieces of crooked wood encom-
passing a horse's collar t^ wluch the traces are fastened. IsK

• . hols, collum. Teut. hamme, numella. Lat. hamut. This
word is often pronounced Yawmes, with the aspirate H before

. it — H'yawmbs.

Heap, a wicker basket, a dry measure somewhat correspondent
to the BEATMENT. Sex. hip, species.

Heap, a good many. ** A heap of folks."— -^^ A heap of bairns."

Heart-scad, any thing disagreeable or contrary to your expec-
tation ^r wishes; grief» vexation. Heart^scald, for a heart'
btirtung pain.

Heartsome, merry, cheerfiil, lively — ^ftiU othearU

IIbavisome, dark, dull, drowsy. Crav. Gloss.

Heck, a rack for cattle to feed in. Su.-Got. h^Bck, V. Ihre.

Heck, an indosure of open work — of slender bars of wood.

• Germ, hecke, a hedge, a partition. — Heck-door, the inner

^ door not dosely panndled but only partly so, and the rest
latticed. — Half-heck, a half, or lower part of a door.

Heck, or Hike, a term of cartmen to their horses ; whence, he'll
neither heck nor re, hike nor re; t. e, he is unmanageable— he
will not hear reason.

Heck-board, a loose board at the back part of a cart.

Heckle, to dress tow or flax. Swed. h&ckla. Teut. hekelen.^
Heckler, a tow or flax-dresser. Teut. hekeler, carminator.

Heckle, Heckle-flee, an artifidal fly for fishing— made of the
hackle fei0ther so called, which grows on the neck of a cock.

Heerin, Harrin, herring. ^ Fresh-heerin— fresh-heerin : — four

.. twopence caller harrin— four twopence caller harrin :— here's

Digitized by VjOOQIC

KELT 151

yor cuddyVlegs — there's yor Dumbar-wethers — here's yor
January harrin."— Cry in Newc, FittMnarket.

HEFTy a haunt. Su.-Grot. Juefd^ usus, consuetudo.

Heioh-how, an occasional assistant in the kitchen — a sort of
char-woman. Sol called, in all probability, from a notorious
propensity which a character of this kind has to all sorts of low
gossip and marvellous stories.

Hell, Helle, to pour. out. — Dur. and North. Qsol. hageUm^
to hail.

Helm-wind, a singular phenomenon so called— generated in that
enormous cloud which gathers round the summit of Cross-
Fell — a mountain encompassed with the most desolate and
barren heights— covering it like a helmet, to an extent of se-
veral miles. On its first appearance, there issues from it a
prodigious noise, which in grandeur and awfiilness has been
thought to exceed the roaring of the ocean. Sometimes there
is a less cloud, in an opposite direction, called a helm^r ;'
probably from its resisting the progress of the wind. The
violence is greatest, when the helm is highest above the moun-
tain.

Helter, the northern word for haUer, Sax. hehter. See
Brand's Pop. Antiq. Vol. 11. p. 683.

Helter-skelter, in great haste, disorderly — ^unbridled, as it
were. Skinner's derivation from Sax. heolster tceado (unless
we reject Dr. Johnson's translation and adopt that of Dr.
Jamieson), seems to me far fetched ; and that given by Grose,
is, in my mind, equally fanciful. A friend suggests that it may
be from hie et aliter ; while the author of the Craven Glossary
refers to the Dutch. But I am satisfied that helter-skelter is
halter loose, halter broken, effiraenat^. Thus Shakspeare ex-
presses the exact meaning when he makes Pistol say.

Sir John, I am thy Pistol, and thy friend.
And heUer^etter have I rode to thee ;
And tidings do I bring.

%d. Part of King Henry IV.

This is quoted, but its peculiar significance entirely overlook-
ed, in Todd's Johnson.

Digitized by VJOOQIC

15£ HEMM

Hemmel, a shed or covering for cattle^ a fold. Sax. hailne; tflb*

turn. Germ, hem, a tent, a house.
Hempt, mischievous. Although it is generally applied jocularly,
and innocently, to giddy young people of both sexes, yet it
seems to have a prophetic allusion to an ignominious end->-
having the qualities likely to sufifer by the halter, v
Hen-pen, the dung of fowls^ manure from th&pen where hekt
are kept. The countiy people sometimes use it in bouking
linen. See Bouk.
Hen-scrattings, small drcnlar white clond»— «aid to indicate

rain or wind. V. Crav. Gloss. 2d, edit. --.
Herd, a keeper of cattle; answering to Sax. k^d, Dan. hjfrde,
and Germ, hirt, one who attends cattle. From hirt, the Swiss
have made a verb hirten, to tend cattle. In Newcastle, and
other parts of the North, there is the vert> to herd, signifyiag
the same thing. ^ ,.

Here's t*te, the rustic form of drinking healtba in the North.
Prynne, the oppngner of what he calls ''pocular and pot-
emptying health," in the same year that he wrote a IdlKwions
pamphlet on the ** Unlovelinesse of Love-Lockes," prodoeed
his '^ Healthes Sicknesse,** wfaeran be labours, with hi» ac-
customed enthusiasm, to prove ** the drinking and pledging of
healthes, to be sinlnll, and utterly unlawfull unto Christians."
Heronsew, Heronseugh, a heron. Not merely a young one, as
stated by Mr. T^rwhitt. V. Skinner, henuves,

I wol not tellen of hir strange sewes,
Ne of hir swannes. ne hir herontewet.

Chaucer, SqukreU Tab.

The proverbial expression of a man's not being able to distin-
guish ''a hawk from a handtaw" is obviously a corruption for
heronshaw (as it is written and pronounced in some places).
There is a possibility of mistake in one case, but not in the
otiier.

Hifp, the latch or fastening of a door or gate. Sax. hisps.

HsT, hot, warmed. Sax.^, heated. Swed« hct, hot. Vsed
by Chaucer.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

HIKE 153

HBtTKRy aiger, earnest, keen. Perhaps fK>m het, hot.

Heuck, hook, a crook or sickle. Dot. hoek. Also the hip bone
of a caw.

Qbcck-fingered, thievish— <fi^giftf hamatU, Perhaps only cant.

Heudin, a piece of leather connecting the handstaff of a UsSt with
the swingle — ^the hooding of the handstaff.

Hbugh, a ragged, steq> hill side— a ravine. Sax. hou, mens.
Lye.

Heup, or Hoop, a measure, something less than a peck.

Hexhamshibe, a laige portion of the county of Northumberhmd ;
once a distinct Bishopric, with the privil^;e8 of a sqierate
Palatine jurisdiction, but now an isolated part of the Archie-
piscopal See of York. The name, though improperly, i» still
retidned; and the manor, comprising thisr extensive district,
has, for ages, been styled the Regality of Hexham.

Hi€KUF^?»CKCP, the hiccough. Shakspeare, in the TwelfUi

' Night, uses the interjection sneck up J which— coming from

such a drunken character as Sir Toby Belch — ^may fiuriy

enough be supposed to designate a. hiccough ; though some of

the commentators seem to think otherwise. The foUovring

' incantation, thrice repeated, may be mentioned as a cure for
this disagreeable convulsion.

Hickup-tnkktijp, stand up, stick up;

One drop, two drops— good for the hiccup.

Major Moor ^ves a different verdon of the lines—
Hiccup-micctip^ook up— dght up—
Three drops in a cup— ^is good for the hiccup.

HmuNS, adv. secretly, clandestinely— applied to any thing done

by stealth.
Higgler, a tramping dealer in small agricultural produce. Wnc

fort^ to higgle, to drive a bargain like a higgler.
HiGHT, called. An old wordj used by Chaucer. See Ray.,
Hue, to swing, to put in motion. Germ, hoch, high. A nurse

hikeg her child when she tosses it up and down in her arms.

There is also the hiking of a boat.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

154 HIKE

HoosT, Hfiar-BOAiiOy a swing. It is much better represented,
than I qan pretend. to describe it, in^Bewick's tail-piece. of twa
monkeys engaged in the sport, Qoadrupeds, p. 484^. ed. 1820L

Hiu^NOy fL covering.— 'Bed-billing, a quilt or coverlet. Sax.
hilan, tegere, ^' HifUing of a house." Prompt. Parv.

Hind, a servant or bailiff in husbandry. Sax. hineman.

HiND-BBRRT, a raspbeny. Rtibut Idam, Saji. . hindberian,
which Lye mis-translates into fragwn. The corresponding
term in Danish is Awd&pr.

Hinder-ends, the refuse of any thing; especially of such corn
as remains after it is winnowed.

HiNo, to hang. To kinge, m the same sense, is ancient.

HiNNET, or HiNNYy a fiivourite term of endearment, expressive

^ of great regard. A mispronunciation . of Aoney— used with
such effect by the . Irish. Sometimes the term is applied
irbnicalfy to a female of no good feme; as ** she's a canny .
Atmiy*— implying that she is the reverse of a chaste woman.
The French have a similar idiom, in the phrases '^ jolie BUe,'*
and ** jenne covsine." Hinney is also used in a contemptuous
light towardis a man ; meaning a poor creature, a BoeotiaB. :

HiNNET HOW ! an inteijectional exclamation of surprise^ accom-
panied with gladness.

Hrp, to hop on one foot. See Hitch. — Hifhstbp^and-jump, a
youthful gambol. — Hinchv-pinchy, something similar.

HiPE, to push, to rip or gore ; as with the horns of cattle.

HiPPEN, or Hipping, a cloth for an infant— to put the ^ in f

HipPEN-sTONES, HiPPiNG-sTONES, stcppiugs — large stones set iti
a shallow river, at a step's distance from each other, to pass
over by.

Hiring, a fiiir or market at which country servants are hired.
Tkose, who ofier themselves, stand in a body in the market-
place, with a. piece of straw or a green branch in their mouths
to distinguish them ; or with wool, meal, &c. in or on their
hats, as a badge of thdr trade. The engagement concluded,
the lasses, bc^n to file off, and pace the streets in search of ad-
mirers, while the lads, with equally innocent dsaigjas, follow

Digitized by VjOOQIC

HOB-A 155

' thdr example. Having each [ncked up a swjpetheart, they
retire to diiSerent ale-houses^ where they spend the remamder
of the day m a manner that appears highly indelicate to a spec-
tator unaccustomed to these rural amusements.

HiiiPLE> or HippLE/ to halt, to walk lame, to creep. V. Jam.
kirple; and Cray. Gloss, kerple,

HiBsfiL, or Herdsel, the numher of sheq) which one person can
attend.

HmsTy Hurst, a woody bank, a plac/B with trees. Sax. Ayr*/,
hur^L V. Spehnan, hur$ta; add >Kilian, horscht^ horst. Ac-
coring to Lord Coke^ it is a wood generally. We have Hirstf
and t^ang-^irtt, m Northumberland.

HircH^ to hop on one foot Identical with hip.— Hitch-step-
ANDiOiTMP, a favourite amusement among boys.

HiTHEB-i^D-TON, hefe and there. Sax. kider and geond.

HrrY-Tnr, Hoitt-toity, haughty, flighty. Fr. haute tete.

HivES» wf^-blebs, an eruption of the skin. Su.-Grot. haefwa,
to rise up. Sax. heafian. Teut. heffen,

HiZET-PEunnr, a frequent corruption of Nisi Prius.

HoAST, a bad hoarseness, a cough. Sax. hwogta^ tussis. Swed.
hotta. Dan. Ao^.

HoiJSTMEir, HosTMEN, or (as it was formerly written) Ostmen,
an ancient fraternity or society in Newcastle, dealing in sea-
coal^ They were incorporated by Queen Elizabeth, but ap-
pear to have existed as a guild from time immemorial. ^ A
stranger arriving at the port of Tyne, to buy coals, was called
an oastCy or otie. V. Brand's Hist, of Newc, PL L, Seals,
No. 11.

Hob, tiie side of a fire place. Rather, as a .literary friend has
remariced, the head of the side. Germ^ haupU *' Set the
kettle on the hob;** i, e. the flat place on the head.

Hob, a clown J contracted from Robin, a common rustic name.

Hob CoixmowooD, a name given to the four of hearts at whi^t |
considered by old ladies an unlucky card.

Hob-amd-nob, Bob-ob^nob, the act of touching glasses in pledg*
ing a health. Much has been written concerning this Northern

Digitized by VjOOQIC

m BOBB

expresrioD. See Grose's Class. Diet, and Braad's Pop. Ant.
Ao& ornob; Todd's John, hob nob; and Nares' Gloss, habbe
or nabbe. Sax. babban, to have, and msbban, to want, are
much relied on for a derivation; but is the term any thing
more than a burlesque translation of tete a tete? Haupt is the
German word for the headland knob the ludicrous En^ish
word — ^from kmA, a protuberance.

HoBBLETT-HOT, an Uncultivated stripling, ^neither man nor
boy." v. Roquefort, hobereau. Hoyden, with which thiB
term seems connected, was formerly applied to any rude, ill-
behaved person of either sex. Children call a lai^e unmanage-
able top, a hohblety-hoy,

H0B8LT, rough, uneven. ** A hobbfy road, «]bi the maa said when
he fell over the cow.**

HoBTHBUST, a local spirit, famous for whimsical pranks. In
some &rm-houses a cock and bacon are boiled on Fassen^s^eve
(Shrove Tueeday); and if any person n^lect to eat heartily
of this food, Hobthrust b sure to amuse himself at night with
cramming him up to the mouth with bigg-chaff. According
to Girose,he is supposed to haunt woods only^Hob o fhursi.

Hockey, another name for the game of Doddart — hooJI^, fiom
the bent stick used. So the synonyme bandy, bentfy. The
verb bandy appears borrowed from the game, and directly allu-
sive to it. ** I will not bandy with thee word for , word.**— 3i/.
Part Henry VL

HoFBY ! HoFEY ! a term in calling to co^s. A gentleman in«
forms me, that he heard this word used, with the exact tone
of a Newcastle cowherd, by a German on the Rhine, driving
cattle. It was explained to mean, aUez dotuxmenL

HoFEX, or HovsY, a cow. See the preceding article.

HoFF, houghs to throw any thing under the thigh.

Hoo, a sheep in its state from a lamb to its first shearing. Nor-
man Fr. hpgetzn In an account relating to the Monasteiy of
Wearmouth, A. D. 1337, the Monks, in descrilnng sheqp of
this sort, use the barbarous Latin word hoggattru There are
wcddeT'hogs^ and ewe-hogs.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

HOLY W

HooGiiats; upper stoekings without feet, used as gaitere-p^ridiDg

gtockings. Perhaps only a Fariadon of Cockebs; which see.

fio6H» HoB« How^ both a hill and a hollow. Sax. hoh, altus-**-

HoGMENA, a name appropriated to December, and to any pSt
during that month, especially on the last day*-a new yearns
day ofiering. Sc. hogmaniMf, The poor children in I^ewcas-
tle, in expectation of this present, go about from house to
house, knocking at the doors, chaunting their carols, wishing a
merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and begging their
hogmena. The origin of the custom is uncertain. Some pre-
tend to derive the term from the two Greek words, uyut f/ttinty
hofy moon; wlale others maintain that it is only a corruption
from the French, homme est ne, in allusion to the nadvi^.

fioGMENA-MioHT, a Northcm term for new year's eve.

HoLB-iN'-THB-coAT, a blemish in character or conduct.

If I find a ?iole in hU coai^ I will tell him my mind.

Shak, Hen. V.

HoLUN, the holly tree. Sax. hokn, ** Nothing but an IkoUin
bush hero."

Holm, flat land caused by alluvion— a small island. Diy grounda
nearly surrounded by the course of rivers, or situated in low
places by their edge, are often called Holms :— The Holnu on
UDswater and Windermere. — Dunholnty the ancient name of
Durham. Holm, in the Saxon language, generally signifies
the sea or a deep water, but it is frequently used with an ad-
jective to des^ate an insular situation.

Holt, a peaked hill covered witii wood. Sax. holt, lucus.

HoLT«8TONEs, holed^tonei, are hung over the heads of horsea as
a charm against diseases, and to scare the witches fi*om riding
the cattle: such as sweat in their stalls are supposed to be
cored by the application. I have also seen them suspended
firom the tester of a bed as well as placed behind the door of a
dwelling-house, attached to a key— to prevent injury fitun the
midnight hags of ** air and broom." The stone, in all cases.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

158 HONO

must be found naturally holed-^it be made it is thou^t to
have no efficacy. See Adder-Stone. ^

'HoNouiuBRioHT ! BffT Watt ! a protestation of honour among
tlie vulgar; originating with, and still retained in commemo-

- ration of^ a late well-known Newcastle worthy.

HooR, a whore. Sax. hure; Srom hyran, to hire. Welsh,
huretif a prostitute— ^urtatif, to take hire or wages. Thb idea
runs through other languages. Gr ^rd^fn, a harlot ; from ^n^nuty
to sell. Lat. meretrix ; from mereor, to earn or get money.

Nan Bullen, that Hoore^ shall not be Queen.

£Mt, Letters iOuttrative ofEng, Hitt,

So much for the ^ Old Light." According to the reformed
taste^ she was tiie very perfection of loveliness and virtue —

When love could teach a monarch to be wise,
And Gospel-light first dawn*d from Boleyn*s eyes.

Grojf,

Hop, i;. to dance. Sax. hoppan.- Teut happen. This is the
orig^al sense of the 'word. ' Though unnoticed by the great
Lexicographer, it has not escaped his able editor, Mr. Todd.

Hop, s, a rustic dance. See Hoppen, Hopping.

Hope, a narrow valley, a sloping hollow between hills; often
confined to a vale without a thoroughfare. Sometimes it
means a hill. The word enters into the compontion of seve-

- nl local appellatives in the Northern counties.

HopPEN, Hopping, a country wake or rural fair ; several of which
are held in die immediate neighbourhood of Newcastie.
Hopping^ or dancing, was always die favourite amusement at

- these meetings; hence tiie name. In former days, neither
wake nor feast could be properly celebrated witiiout the lads
and lasses footing it on the green. A very humorous descrip-
tion of a hopping, and particularly curious as it enumerates the
names of the dances in vogue among these rustic performers
at th^ commencement of the seventeenth century, may be
seen in Heywood's Woman kilPd with Kindneu, Dodsley's

Digitized by VjOOQIC

HOT isgr

' OldPlaySybyReed^VoLyiL Allusion is also made to these
sports in a Joco^erious Discourse between a Iforthumberland
Gentleman and his Tenant, a Scotchmanf a rare poem, printed
in 1686, 4to.

To horse-race* &ir, or hoppin go.

There play our casts among the whipsters^

Throw for the hammer, lowp for slippers,

And see the maids dance for tiie ring.

Or anj other pleasant thing ;

F*** for the pigg, Ije for the whetstone^

Or chiise what side to kj our betts on.

Of the sports at a hopping near Newcastle, the following notice
vas circulated, in 17^8 : — '* On this day (May 22) the annual
diversions at SwalweU will take place, which will consist of
dancing for ribbons, grinning for tobacco, women running for
smocks, ass races, foot courses by men, witii an odd whim of
a man eating a cock alive, feathers, entrails,*' &c &c.

Hopple, to tie the legs or hoofs of an animal, so as to prevent it
from straying. Teut. hoppelen.

Hornet, or Horney-top, the end of a cow's horn made like a
top for boys to play with.

HoRNEY, or HoRNET-WAT, an untruth, a hoax. Homie is a
common name in Scotland, for, to adopt the expr$^sion of
Reginald Scot, ** an ouglie divell having homes on his head."
I have seen a very old wood-cut of the Devil, dressed in hairy
pantaloons and a jacket, with his horns appearing through his
rough bat.

HoRsE-couPER, a horse dealer of an inferior order.

As honest as any horte-couper of them tH^^Redgauntlet,

HoRSEGODMOTHER, a large masculine w:ench ; one whom it is dif-
ficult to rank among the pnrestandgentlest portion. of the.
community.

HoRSE-sHOEs, the game of coits, or quoits — ^because sometimes
actually played with horseshoes, .

Hot, a sort of square basket formeriy used for taking manure.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

160 HOT.P

into fields of steep ascent. Tlie tiottom opened hy tUfo
wooden pins to let out the contents. I have heard old peo-
. pie say, that between the confines of Yorkshire and Westmor-
land, it was common for the men to occupy themselves in
knitting, while the women were engaged in the servile employ-
ment of carrying these hots on their backs. It has been re-
marked to me, by more than one literary finend, that hot is
hod; as mortar. But I would prefer deducing it firom Fr.
hotte, which Cotgrave defines ^a scuttle, doaaery basket to
carry on the back**

Hot-pot, or Het-pint, wanned ale with spirit in it.

Hotter, to shake, to harass, to weary. ** Fm all hottered to
pieces," said of a jumbling ride in an uneasy vehicle.

HouoHER, the public' whipper of criminals, the executioner of
felons, in NewcatUe^'^taXi a regular officer of the town, with
a yearly salary of JC4. 6b. 8d. He is said to have obtained
this name firom a power which he had formerly of cutting tiie
houghs, or rather the sinews of the houghs, of swine that were
found infesting the streets. In Ruddiman's excellent Glos-
sary to Gawin Douglas's Translation of Virgo's Mn&s^ to
hocht fi*om Sax. hoh^ b rendered ** suffrag^nes sucddere," to
. hamstring*

HousEN, a property in houses. This is merely the Saxon plu-
ral; some instances of which, notwithstandmg its having in
general given way to #, are still to be found in our language.

HouT ! an exclamation of disapprobation, or disbelief. This
interjection, tiiough now used only by the vulgar, may, I
tiiink, be traced to Su.-Got. hut, apage; Welsh, hwt^ off!
away!

HouTOPONNER ! or HouT-upoN-HER ! an interj^onal term of
reproach, or abhoirence.

HouTS ! an expression of dissatisfaction, implying a degree of
irritation, and sometimes of contempt— equivalent to pshaw,
in more polished language.

Hove, to swell. Dan. hovne, Swed hAfva,

How, hollow, empty. Su«-Got« and S«x, *<rf, cavuSt^-How-i'-
THB-WAHJs, hungry.

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HOWL 161

How ! How-*MARBOW ! a favourite salutation among the pitmen.

H0WDON-PAN-CANT9 aa awkward fidl, an overturn, a summerset.

BowDON-PAN-CANTERy a slow, ungraceful mode of riding.

HowDT, HowDT-wiFEy a Qudwife. Brand sneers at the dedva-
tion from .^ How <f ife — ^midwives bdng great gossipers/' but
I think that which he supplies is far more ridiculous. I have
not been fortunate enough to meet with any original to my
own satisfaction, but I may perhaps be permitted to observe,
in defence of what has been so much ridiculed, that *' How d*.
^,'* is a natural enough salutation to a sick woman from the
midwife; who, by the way, is generally a great prattler. It
may also be remarked, that in Scotland the *' Clachan How-
die" is a common term for the village midwife. As it is with
antiquaries, so I fear with etymolo^ts — ancient women,
** whether in or out of breeches," will occasionaUy betray
tiiemselves.

HowK, to dig, to. s(|Coop— >to make, a hole, or cut earth with 1^
spade. Su.-Got. hoUca^ cavare.

Howl, «. a hollow or low place. Sax. hoi, latibulum. ** Where-
ever there's a hill there's sure to.be a howlT or, as Barthe-
lemi (apolog^ng for the huge faults of Homer's heroes)
expresses it, '* la nature a place I'abyme k cot^ de P eleva-
tion."

Howl, Howle, o. empty, hollow. ** The howl quarter of the

' year" — the winter quarter, when times are flat and wages low-
ered. See How. 1

HowLET, the bam or white owl, which, in its flight, occasionally
utters loud screams or howls. Fr. hulotte. Shakspeare intro-
duces the word into his incantations in Macbeth.

Adder's fork, and blind worm's sting.
Lizard's leg, and ?iowlet*s wing.

HowLET, a term of reproach; probably from the owl being con-
, sidered a bird of ill omen. Indeed, it has the reputation of

being the herald of horror and disaster.
Howl-kite, a vulgar name for the belly, .

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162 HOW'W

How*wAY, come away; a terra of solicitation very common in

' Newcastle and the vicinity. It is hUf^ot hoy away.
HoT) V. to heave or throw ; as a stone.
Hot, Hotm^art, «. a cart drawn by one horse only.
Horr, an awkward ill4)red youths a lazy idle fellow.
Hu9BY-sHKw, HmBT-siloo, HuBBLEDESBEw, a (fistorbance, a

n<M8ey a state of confusion. Teut. Aoddeibiyinglomenire; and

ichowe, q[>ectaeulam.
Hud, the rade, or rather- the covering of the top of the side, of a

fir&^lace within the chimney of a country cottage«-tfae hood.

Pans not in use are placed on the ** hud staneJ*
HcHwics, or HuDDOcKy die cabm of a ked or coal barga Dut.

Att/y steerage.
HuEL, a vulgar term of vituperation. ^ A- huel of a fellow."
Hi»v, 17. to oifend. M,yfay irritare. " She's eaaly At^j^."^—

Huff, s. offence, displeasure, anger. '^ He's in a huff?*
Hoo^ to carry; requiring the grasp of the arms.
^UGGEBMUGGERiNo, doiog any thing in a confused, clandestine,

or unfair manner. V. Todd's John, and Nares' Glos&
HonxT, delicate in health, of)»n oomi^ning, weak, feeble, ten-

der> timid, petted, peevish. It does not correspond to Sc.

kooly, which implies slow and softly.
Hulk, a lazy, clumsy, bulky fellow. Shakspeare has ^ the huH

Sir John ;" and in Newcastle ihey talk of an '^ idle lazy pay^

wife hulhr
Hull, a place in which animals are confined for the purpose of

fattening; as a swme-htdl; a duck-hulL Grerm. hohle, a den.
HuuBLE. To humble barley, is to break off the beard or awns,

with a flail or other instrument. It is a sort of second thrarii-

ing. Su.-Got. handa, to mutilate. Allied to this, is a hunh'

meUedrcow, a cow without horns.
Hummer, to make a low rumbling noise. Y. Jam. Supp.
Humoursomb, fiill of whims— ^ttmourofff m Shakspeare's sense..
Hunkered, elbowed, bowed, crooked. Lat. uncus. ^Tfais

wheat is sadly hunkered^*
Hunkers, haunches. This word, seems used by the Northam*

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ffYEL 163

Iwian vulgar only in the sense of tUting on the hunkers ; that
is, with the hams resting on tiie back part of the ankles, the
heels generally bdng raised from the ground. Such is the
portion of a woman milking a cow, which in Durham is caUed
keneowr fieuhion, probably from hen and eouver, to sit on c^ggs
—-from the position of a broodiqg hen. A finend of mme
connected with a eolliery, where a child had been injured,
enquiring of the father how the acddent h^pened, received

. the following; answer, which I am induced to £^ve as a speci-
men of Pit language:^** It was sUten on Us hunkers howking
glinters fra mang the het ass, when the lowe teuek its daes,
and bnint it to the varry a*se ;" impdying that it was sitting on
its haunches digging vitrified flbinii^ sooria among the hot
ashes, when the flame eaugfat its clothes, and burnt it to Ihe
very buttocks.

HmnvTB^HABB, a common game among children— played oo
the ice as wdl as in the fields.

HumrsR, the shoulder of the axle against which the nave of the
wheel knocks. Fr. hetirter, to knock.

Hurtle, to contract the body into a round fonn, as through pun,
severe cold. Sec Hurtle^ to crowd confusedly together, is
classical.

HusE, a short cough, a hoarseness. Germ, hustefi, a cough.
See HoAST.— -HusEKY, ill of a cold, hoarse.

Hutch, a chest. The Hutch, in the Guildhall of Newcastle, is
a fine old chest, on which the .Chamberlains of the Corporation
■ transact thdr business. It is, in fiu^t, the town's treasury.
Lat. huchitu Fr. hw^.

Why dost thou converse with that trunk of humours, that
bolting-Jbic^ of beastliness, that swdlra parcel of dropsies,
that huge bombard of sack— SftaA^ \st. Hen. IV.

HuTHBRiKiN-LAD, a ragged youth«^n uncultivated boy. Germ.

hutte-hind, a cottage child.
Huz, Uz, we, as well as, tts. In very general use.
ITvEL, the whole, all. IsL heiU, Su.-Got. hel, totus.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

164 ICE-S

IcK-SHOOGLB, an icicle. Sax. ice-iceL I>ut, yskegel, Mr. Todd,
on the authority of Grose, has admitted ickle, which I should
have thought Uie proper name for these stalactites (and not
idole) had not Shakspeare left us, ** When icicles hang bythe
wall." The ice has certainly very much the appearance of a
corrupt addition. I have been informed, since writing this ar-
ticle, that icle is a general name for stalactite.

Tfakins, in fiiith — a frequent asseveration among the common
people. Shakspeare uses i^faith, on several occainons.

Ilk, eachy every — ^the same, the like. Sax. ale — t/e,

III, V. to reproach, to speak iB, — Ill-willed, a. malevolent, ill-
natured. Isl. illviHe, malevolentia.

Imp, an addition to a bee-hive. Also, one length of hair twisted,
as forming part of a fishing line.

Inclino, a desire, an imperfect hint or intimation. Etymologists
have differed as to the derivation. I was once inclined to view
it as firom Fr. un din (d'oeil) a wink, if not from Su.-Got.
vmchoy connivere. But Mrs. Hutchinson (Memoirs, 4to. p.
357) writes the word inclin^ quasi penchant — a leaning, an in-
clination.

Incobib, any swelling or other bodily infirmity, not apparently
proceeding from any external cause — or which has formed un-
expectedly. Ancome, in the same sense, is an old word.

Indifferent, tolerable, in pretty good health. Y. Grav. Gloss.

Ino, a meadow — a pasture. The word often occurs in the names
of places; and is common to the Saxon, Danish, and other
Northern languages. It seems originally to have meant an in
or inclosure, as distinguished fi*om the common field ; though
it is now chiefly applied to low moist ground, or such as is
subject to occasional overflowings. Ihre says, ang is a flat
meadow between a town and a river on which the market or
fair is held; which is an exact description of the Ings on
which the great fortnight fair for cattle is held at Wakefield.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

tZZA 165

Ingle, a fire, or flame. Gael. aingeaL V. Todd's Johnson.
Inkle, an inferior kind of tape. *^ B^gars inkle** See Thick.
Insense, to comprehend, to make to understand, to inform — to

hstft seme infased vaU) the mind. V. 'Nares' Gloss, inceme. '
Intack, an inclosure. A part taken in firom a common. Inhbi^

k an old law term for any comer or part of a common field

fenced in fi'om the rest. Y. Kennett's Paroch. Antiq. p. 397$

and Gloss, vo. inhoc.
Irons, a term for spurs ; probably as being made of iron.
Is, the third person angular of to be, is almost constantly used

among the common people for the first and second persons.

^ Is sure, thou u" — am sure, thou art. In the Canterbury

Tales, is the following line —

I <# as ill a miller as it ye.

Mr. Tyrwhitt, whose high authority it is a sort of heresy to
question, seems to think that Chaucer has designedly ^ven his
Northern Clerks a vulgar, ungrammatical phraseolcgy. But I
must confess, I have some doubt on the subject.
Isca! Isca! or Iska! Iska! a Northumbrian shepherd's call
to his dog. Sc. isk, iskie. Mr. Lambe, in his Notes on the
old poem of TTie Battle of Floddon, p. 66, fandfully observes,
that this term is evidently an abbreviation o£ L^iisca, the
name of the Roman shepherd's dog.

— ».— multum latrante LyHtca^^^Virg, Eel 3.

With greater verisimilitude it has been said, that it is firom Fr.

icy, hither; the word used in France for the same purpose.

Dr. Jamieson, however, remarks that Teut. aes, aesken, and

Grerm. en, signify a dog.
Iv, in. — Intiv, into. So pronounced by country people.
IzzARD (often pronounced like the Germ, z), Izzet, the letter

Z. Derived by Johnson fi*om s hard, and by Walker, who

contends it is t soft, from t surd.

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105 JABB

JmBR, «. gmmiirty. The vab is dd. V. Todd's Jduuon.

fACKALVGB, a large knife with a joint, so as to be carried in the
pocket. Genevally considered to have obtained this name
from Jacques de lAege, a finnous Flemish cntler — before Eng-
land had learnt to excel all the world in hardware.

Jag, a cart load.— ForAr. Moor has jusg, a waggon load.

Jaogbiuoallowat, a pony with a peculiar saddle for carrying
leady &C. Jogger f in the Scottish language, means a pediar^
jagger^aUoufay^ a pedlar's pony. Some of these itinerant mer^
ekants, as they are called, are yet in the practice of conveying
their wares on galloways, a small, but spirited, breed of horses,
from GaUoway^ a district of country in Scotland, fimied for
rearing them.

Jaistbbing, swaggering^ gesturing— gesticulating. It is common
to can a person of an airy manner, if a mtde, ^ajawfrnn^
iSsllow ;" — and if a female, ** SLJaistering jade."

Jam, JuiM, «. jamb. Formeriy written jotimft.

Jamnock, oat«bread made into a loaf. See Bannock.

Jantt, cheerful. Su.-Qot. ganias, to sport like children.

Jabbcb, to wet, to bedew; as by walking in long grass after dew
or rain. V. Todd's John. jocv/.

Jar-woman, an occasional assistant in the kitchen-*-a sort of
char-woman; which Tooke derives from Sax. cyrrany to turn
-Hihe not being regularly hired, but only for a turn. Mr.
Jennings, however, thinks it ought to be choor-woman ; from
€Aoor, a West of England word for a job, or any dirty house-
hold work.

Jasbt, or Jasst, yam for stockings, worsted. Ajasoey'mg h an
old-ftshioned article, still worn by some ^c^^enarwm.

Jaunib, Jaunus, the jaundice. Fr.jauniue ; from jmme,

JxWy V, to move liquid irregularly— to splash. ** The water
went jaupmg in the sked." A rotten 6gg, also, is smd to
javpt when, upon bdng shaken, a noise is heard like that pro-
ceeding from a bottle not full.

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JINN 167

Jaop, «. the sound of water a^tated in a narrow or irregular ves-
ad. Isl. &alfur, a hissing (»' roaring wave ?

Jaup, to strike, to chip or break by a gentle, though sudden blow.
Jaupmg paste^ggi at Easter, is a youthful amusement in
Newcastle and the neighbourhood* One boy, holdiiig an egg
in his hand, challenges another to give blow for blow. One
of the eggs is sure to be fractured in the conflict, and its shat-
tered remains become the spoil of the conquercNr.

Jee, v. to move to one side. Swed. gaa, to turn round«^JBE, a,
crooked, awry.

Jerps, a severe bearing— « sound thrashing.

Jenk, to jaunt, to ramble. Vrom Junket, to feast secretly.

Jennt-howlet, the tawny owl; very clamorous at night, and
easily known by its hooting.

When the gray Itowkt has three times hoo*d.
When the grimy cat has three times mewed.

WUcha* Gathering Hymn.

Jesp, a hole or rent in doth. Isl. geispi, osdtado.
Jewel, an expression of a£^tion — fiuniliar regard. Fr. monjoie^
provindally maw Jewell It is also Irish.

Ye Jewels of our &ther, with washed eyes
Coidelia leaves you— jS/mXt. King Lear.

Jigger, an airy swaggering person. ^ A eowkal Jigger J* Per-
haps, originally, one disposed or suitable to &Jig.

Jn^ a* slender, neat, el^gant« See Gimp, or Jimp.

JiMMEB, a small hinge for a closet door or desk. See an expla-
natioii oijimmers, with which the gimmal ring is thought to be
connected, in Brand's Pop. Ant. VoL II., p. 27. Also Nares'
Gloss, gimmal; and "Moorfjimmers.

JiNGUB-CAP, shake cap. A game much practbed among the
young pitmen and keehnen. Sc. Jingk'tke^onnet.

Jink, t^. to jingle.-^iNK, s. a clink, or sharp rattle.

Jinkebs, Bt Jinksbs, a sort of demi-oath. From Jingo.

JiNKr-spiNNER, a very long slender-legged fly.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

168 JOCK

JocKALBGS, the same as Jackalbgs; ivhich see. In M^rick's
Glossary of military terms of the middle ages, I find ^' Jock-
efyif a strong knife with two blades." Our modem jockalegs,
however, has only one blade.

Jock and JockVman, a juvenile sport, in which the bon camo"
rada is to repeat all the pranks which the leader can perform.
See the Tale of " Master and Man," in the Irish Fairy
Legends. See, also, a long list of youthful games— many of
them common in the North of England— in Moor's Suffolk,
words, move all.

Joggle, to cause to totter. Teut. scbockelen, vacillare.

Joixr, fat, stout, large in person. ** ^joUy landlady."

Jock, to crouch or stoop suddenly, as if to avoid a blow.,

JooKiNGS, com beat out of the sheaf in throwing off the stack ;
often a perquisite to those who asnst in carrying the sheaves
into the bam.

JoRUM, a pot or jug full of something to drink. Chaucer has
jordane^ and Shakspeare ^or^/en; both in the sense of a cham-
ber substitute pour lejardin.

The horrible crew.

That Hercules slew, .
Were Poverty— Calumny — T^uble— and Fear :

Such a dub would you borrow.

To drive away sorrow.
Apply for a jorum of Newcastle beer.— CumiM^ftam.

Joskin, a mason's labourer. Y. Jam. Supp. joskin,
JouKEREV-PAUKERET, any sort of underhand trick op d^terous

roguery, artifice, legerdemsdn. A friend in Edinbuigh says,
. this phrase is derived fi*om the two Scots words jouk, to elude,

and paukiCf cunning, sly — ^the essential requisites of a juggler.
Jowl, v. to knock, or rather to give a signal by knocking.
Juration, a severe lecture, or reprimand. LtLt.jubeo.
Jug, to go to rest; as partridges when they roost on the ground.

Su.-Got. huka, avium more reclinare. Serenius.
JuMP-witH, JuMP-iN-wiTH, to meet with accidentally, to coin-.

cide. Jump occurs several times in Shakspeare; meanii^ ia

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KECK leo

some places to agree witfa« in others to Tenture at, or hazard.

In one place it appears to be intended for just.
iIdrnut, an earth-nut. The same as Arnut; which see*
JusT-Now, adv. presently. In the South, by and by,
Jyb, to stir, to turn round. " I cannot ^^tf my neck, its so stiff."

— Jye> a. awry, crooked. See Jbe.

Kae ! an inteijectional expression of disbelief, contempt, or ab-
horrence; very common in Newcastle.

Kail, cabbage, greens. — North. Isl. kal, Dan. kaal, Swed.
kSl. Welsh, eavd. See Appendix to Johnstone's Antiqui-
tates Celto-Scandicse, p. 276.

Kail, broth or pottage. V. Jam. Supp. kail, 2d, sense^ There
is a place in Newcastle called the Kail^rau; where broth was
sold in former times.

Kail, a turn; so used among school-boys in their games. ^It's
my kaU:'

Kail-oabth, a kitchen-garden — a cabbage-garth^though often
adorned with a profusion of flowers.. Swed. kSlgdrd,

Kail-pot, a large metal pot for culinary purposes ; originally, as
Grose explams it, a pottage pot.

Kairn, the same as Cairn; which see^

Kamb, K'yame, a comb. Sax. comb, Dan. kam, Sc. kaim,.

Kamstary, mad. Perhaps the same as Sc. canuterie, camstairie^
froward, perverse, unmanageable ; which Dr. Jamieson derives
from Germ, kamp, and starrig stiff; or it may be a sort of
pleonasm, from cam, which in Gael, is applied to any thing
crooked or awry, and stary, ttaringy wild-looking.

Karl-cat, or Carl-cat, a male cat. Sax. carl, masculus.

Karl-hemp, or Carl-hemp, the largest stalk of hemp — that
which bears the seed.

KECiOJS, to cackle, to laugh aloud. Y. Jam. kehkU^

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170 KEDG

Kedgb, to fill, to stuff Hence, Kbdge-bellt, a large protube*

rant body, a glutton.
Kee, KsE-siDBy emphoHcaily the Newcastle Quay, extending

from Tyne Bridge to the end of Sandgate.

Fareweel Tyne Brig and cannie kee.

Gikhrui, Voyage to Lunmm,

Keek, to peep, to look with a prying eye, to view slyly. Su.-
Grot. kika, intends oculis videre. Dan. kige. Dut. leijken.

Keel, v. to cool, to render cool. Sax. <»?/an, algere. Sir llios.
Hanmer — at best but a sorry expounder of our inunortal bard
—in attempting an explanation of

WhUe greae^ Joan doth ked the poi.

Shdk. Lome's Labour^ t Lott*

strangely says, ^ to drink so deep, as to turn up the bottom
of the pot, like tiHrmng up the keel of a skip P* Major Moor
is equally in error: — he thinks '^ scouring the pot with its
bottom inclined conveniently for that operation; or keeling it
in the position of a ship rolling so as to almost show her keel
wt of the water:* V. Suffolk Words, killer or keeler. The
expression ^ keel the pot," really means neither more nor less
than to render it cool; that is, to take out a small quantity of
the broth, &c., and then to fill up the pot with cold water;
a common practice in Northumberland. Another mode of
keeling the pot^Knd my friend,- .Mr. Raine, says, by far the
most frequent one— is by raismg a ladle full of the boiling
liquid, which, after being exposed to the air for a few moments,
is returned to its place. When this is done five or six times^
in rapid succession, the boiling over b for a while effectually
put a stop to. The word, however, as shown by the examples
from Gower and Chaucer, quoted by Mr. Todd, is not confi-
ned to the kitchen.

Keel, s, ruddle, decomposed iron used for marking sheep, &c.
Crael. d/. Fr. chaille, Jamieson.

Keel, a low, flat vessel or barge, in which coals are carried from
the colUery-itaiths to the ships, in the Tyne and Wear. Ked

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KELD 171

18 a very ancient name, of Saxon origin, for a ship or vmsel—
ceoly navis— though now restricted to mean the boUam only.
On the first arrival of the Saxons they came over in three
large ships, styled by themselves, as Verst^an informs us,
keelei. In the Ghartulary of Tynemouth Monastery, the ser«
vants of the Prior who wrought in the barges (1378), are called
helerty an appellation plainly synonymous with the present
keelmen, or persons ^o navigate the keels.

Keel-of-coals, 8 Kewcattle chaldrons — 21 tons, 4 cwt.

Keei>]||}lues, the keelmeny or crew of the keel— the partners, or
comrades in the vessel. See Buixr.

KEKi»DEBTEB5, the wivcs and daughters of the keelmen, who
sweep the keeU, having the sweepings of the small coals for
their pains. To dcet^ or digldf in Northern language, meant
to wipe or make dean. See Debt.

Keelage, keel dues In port— payment of custom for every Jud
or bottom that enters a harbour. This word is in Todd's
Johnson, but in too limited a sense.

Keelt-vine, a black-tead pencil. See Monthly Mag. Vol. VI,
p. 434. See, also, Jam. Supp.

Keek, a chsq;>. The hands are said to be keened, when the skhi
is broken or cracked by the frost, and a sore induced. Keen,
is also used by the lower classes for caustic applied to wens or
ulcers; probably from the pain it occasions.

Kebp-the-pot-boiung, a commom metaphorical expression
among young people, when they are anxious to carry on thdr
gambols with more than ordinary spirit.

Keld, the still part of a river, which has an oily smoothness
while the rest of the water is ruffled. I have only heard this
word on the T3nie, and confined to the*nieamng here given ;
but a friend, who lately visited Ullswater, informs me, that
when the day is uniformly overcast, and the air perfectly still,
that lake has its surface dappled with a smooth, oily appear-
ance, which is called a keld. The word is also, I find, a com-
mon term in Yorkshire, Westmorland, and Cumberland, for a
well or spring. Isl. kelda^ palus.

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17^ KEIK

Kelk, v. to beat heaftily.-> Kelk, Kelker, t, a severe blow.

Kbue, the roe or milt offish. ** Hadftock keOesy-^Newc.

Kelps, Pot-bxlps> iron hooks from winch boilers are hung.

Keltbr, fi-ame^ order, arrangement, eondidon. Y. Todd's
Johnson. It also means money, cash. Germ. geUL

Kemb, a strong*hold — ^a term used by the Borderers. — I^orik.
Sc. kaimy a camp, or fortress.

Kemp, to strive against each other in reaping com — rardy for
any other superiority. Sax. campumy militare. Teut. Arum-
pen, £micare. Swed. kdmpa, to contend, to struggle.— E^em*
PBRs, the competitors. According to Verstegan, the word is
of noble descent. V. Rest. Decayed Intell. 8vo. p« 233.

Kemps, hairs among wool, coarse fibres. V. Crav. Gloss.

Ken, v. to know, to be acquainted with. Su.>Got. kaenna.
Sax. cennan, Dut. kennen. ** Aw ketU him «vW'«^I knew
him well.

Says t* auld man tit oak tree.

Young and lusty was I when I kenned thee—

But sair &il*d am I, sair fiul*d now,

Sair fiiil^d am I, sen I ketm'd thou.

North Country Song,

Ken, V, to see..— Ken, t. a sight. Archdeacon Nares says, " In

Scotland these words are still in full currency." He might

have added, in the North of England also.
Kennen, Kenning, a measure of two pecks, half a bushel.
Kenspecked, Kenspeckled, conspicuous — specked, so as to be

easily kenned, Y. Skinner.
Kep, to catch, to receive any thing in the act of fiilling, ^Sax.

cepan, Teut. keppen, captare.

Mourn, Spring, thou dariing of the year J
Ilk cowslip cup shall kep a tear.— £«/?<#.

KsppT-BALL, hand-ball. In former times it was customary,
every year at Easter and Whitsuntide, for the Inayor, alder-
men, ahd sheriff of Newcastle, attended by the burgesses^ to
go in state to a place called the Forth«-« sort of mall— to

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KETT 173

eountenance, if not to join in the play of Jceppy-haU^ and
<lther spoits. The esprit de corps is gone, though the
diversion is still in part kept up by the young people of the
town ; but it would of course, in these altered times, be consi-
dered highly indecorous to " unbend the brow of authority**
en such an occasion* Puerile, however, as it may seem, there
was a time— if we may credit Belithus, an ancient ritualist^-
when the bishops, and even archbishops, of some churches,
used to play at hand-ball with the inferior clergy. — Tempora
mutantur, et nos mutamur in Ulis.
Kbsn, V, to chum. Goth, kema. Sax. ceman. Teut. kemen,
Kern, s, a chum. Sax. cerene, Teut. heme. Also (by a dia^
lectical variation of quern), a hand-mill for grinding com. See
Quern.
Kern-baby, an image dressed up with com at a harvest home —
com4faby. The same as maideUy or carUne, in Scotland.*-
Kern-supper, the feast of harvest home. See Meut^upper.
— ^Win-the-kern, to finish the reaping of com. See MeLl-

DOLL.

Kern-hilk, butter-milk, cA«m-milk. Teut hertMnelck. An
Anglo-Saxon supper ; tind still a favourite beverage among the
rustics of the North. f

Kbrsen, EdRSBN, KuRSEN, to christeu. Dut. hersten, Kersen
is an old way of writing the word.

Kersmas, Kirsmas, Kursmas, Christmas.

Kesh, the kexy or hollow stem of an umbelliferous plant. Kyx,
a hemlock, occurs in Pdrs Ploughman. Welsh, cecys.

Kesup, Keslop, a calPs stomach salted and dried for rennet—
that which loppers or curdles the milk in order to make cheese.
Sax. ceseUby coagulum. Germ, kaselab, rennet.

Keslop. KUtie yor keslop, a Newcastle trope for a chastise-
ment. Warm yor keslop, a metaphor for a hotpot.

Ket, carrion, filth, useless lumber. Su.-Got. koetf,

-Kbtuent, a dirty mixture, any sorU)f filth.

Ketty, bad, filthy, dirty, worthless. " A ketti/ fellow."

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174 KEVE

KsTEL, a large hammer for quarrying stones.

Kiy quoth. — Knr-AW} Eliy-i, quoth L See under Labbering.

Kick, the top of the fiuBhion— in other language, quite the go-
just the thing. Q. IsL ikekr, gestus indecorus ?

Kill, the Northern word for a kiln* V. Jam. Supp.

KiLucow, a matter of moment, or of consequence. ^ If s no
great Art//-ci>to"— it is only a triflmg loss, an inoonsdecdble
sacrifice.

KiLucoup, a summerset Probably fixnn Fr. cvl-iKap, tail to
head — ^head over heels. ^£h! whtkt a kilUcaup the preest has
getten out o'is wee bit gig-thifig there !"

KiLL^PRissT, a jocular name for p<»t wine— firom which a very
irreverent inference is drawn. But as Shakspeare says,

Come, come, good wine is a good fiuniliar creature, if it be
well used; ezdaim no more against it.-— O^flo.

Kilt, to truss up the clothes — ^to make them like the Scotch
kiU* Dan. kilte-op, to tuck up.

Kind, intimate. — Not kind, unfriendly, at enmity. See Thick.

King's-cushion, a sort of seat made by two persons crossing
their hands, on which to place a third. The thrones on the
reverses of the early Royal Seals of England and Scotland,
consist of swords, spears, snakes, &c. placed in the manner of
a king*s ciuhion.

Kink, v, to laugh immoderately, to labour for breath as in the
hooping cough. Teut. kincken, difficulter spirare. — Kink, t. a
violent or convulsive fit of laughter or coughing, especially
when the breath is stopped.

Kink-cough, Kink-haust, the hooping-coug^— cAtn-cougift. Sax.
cincung, cachinnatb. Teut. kinck'-hoest, asthma. The igno-
rant and the superstitious haye various fooleries, for curing or
alleviating this epidemic disorder-Hsuch as eating a moute-frie,
or hang^g a roasted mouse round the neck-^-dipping the per-
sons afiected nine times ii^ppn open grave^ or putting them nine
times under a pie-hald horse—passing them nme times tiiroog^

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KITC 175

the mill^hopper^'-msiaDg them ride on a bear^-^^aiy thing, in
short, to disgust or frighten them : — ^which^ so far as it is a
nervous disease^ may possibly have a temporary effect.
Kirk, a church. A very old English word, still retained in
Northumberland. Sax. cyrc. Su.-Got. kyrka. Germ. kircAa
— KiSK-GARTH, the church-yard.
The Friars followed fdke that were rich,
And folke that were poor at little price they set ;
And no cors in the kirke yard ne Kirke was buried,
But quick he bequeath'd them ought, or quit part of his debt.

Petri Ploughman** Visiont*

KiRK-MAisTEB, or KiRK-HASTER, a church warden. Teut. kerk*
maeiter.'^KiBK''FOLK^ the congregation at a church. — Kirk-
hole, a grave.

Kiss, SLiss^her, a peculiar squeak with the fiddle, at country
dancing parties, especially at a mell supper, calling on the beau
to salute his partner — ^to take the long established fee.

KiST, a chest. Common to all the Northern, and also to the
Welsh and Cornish languages.

EjsTmo, a funeral. Borders of North, V. lV>m]in*s Law
Diet, kyste; and Jamieson, kitting,

Ejt, properly a covered milking pail with two handles, but oflen
applied to a small paU of any sort. Adopted, probably, from
Sax. kitte, a bottle, or leathern bag for holding liquors.

Kit, a small barrel for pickled salmon— for which Newcastle, in
days gone by, was much celebrated.

Kit, die stool on which a cobbler works, including all his tools.

Kit, a set or company. A general provincialism.

Kitchen, v. to use thriftily, to be sparing of. — EjtcheNj «. all
kinds of provisions, except bread. Also, a tea-urn.

KiTCBEN-FfiTsic, Substantial fare— good living — opprobrium me-
dicorum.

There was of old no use of physicke amongst us, and but
little at this day, except it be %r a few nice idle citizenst
surfetting courtiers, and staul&d gentlemen lubbers. The
country people use kitchen phytkke.

Burton, Anatomy o/Meknehoiy,

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176 KITE

Kite, the belly. Allied to M(e.-Got. quidy and Su.-Got. gufed.
Tenter. Bag-kite and pod^-kite, are ludicrously applied to
persons with larger capacities than Common. '* Runmng to
Att^'-^becomin'g corpulent.

Kith, acquaintance. Sax. cythe^^htfih. Not obsolete, as stated
by Dr. Johnson. — Ejth-and-kin, friends and relations.

Kittle, v. to tickle, to enliven. Sax. cUelan, titillare. But.
kittelen. Teut. kitzeteru Swed. kittla» The word in this
form is in Sherwood's old Dictionary.

Kittle, v. to litter, to kindle — ^to bring forth kUtent. A very
old word, written in Palsgrave, kyttell. This recalls to our
memory the prophecy, which Thomas the Rhymer is s^d to
have uttered concerning the desoUtion of bis own house.

The hare sail kittle on my hearth stane,

And there will never be laird Learmont again.

Kittle, a. ticklish, hard, difficult. ** ^ttUe ivark**—'* 9S kittle
9S a match."

« O mony a time, my lord," he said,
I Ve stown a kiss frae a sleeping wench ;.

But fi)r you 1*11 do as kittle a deed»
For 1*11 steal an auld lurdane aff the bench.

Christie'* WUL

This word has other meanings ; as kitUe weather — changeable

or uncertfdn weather; a kittle questionr^^xK^ as it is inconve^

nient or impolitic to answer; a kittle horse—^one unsafe to

rid^ or not easily managed — skittish.
KiTTLE-BUSY, officious, interested about trifles.
Kittle- THE-CHUMPs, to stir the fire. — Durham,
Kittling, a kitten. A very ancient word. In Palsgrave, it is

kytlynge; in Prompt. Parv. kytlinge; and in the Ortus Voca*.

bulorum, kyttelynge. Juliana Barnes writes kendel of cats, for

a litter of cats.
Kitty, the house of correction. — Newcastle, Su.-Got. k^etta,

includere. Germ, ketten, to fetter.
Kitty-cat, a puerile game, described by Moor, in his Su^lk

Words, under kit-cat, Strutt mentions a game, which used to

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KNAW 177

be played in the North, called tip cat, or more properly ad
y. Sports and Pki8times» p. 86,
KiTTT, KiTTT*WBEN, the coDimon vren-*a bird regarded with
reverential afibction — the reputed consort of the red breast.

The robin and the wren
Are God*s cock and hen.

KizoNED, or KizzESED, parched or dried. Children are said to
be so, when, from a weakened or pampered appetite, they
loathe their food. ^^ Kizzen'd meat"-»meat too much roasted.
See Gizen; to which it seems allied.

KucK, a peg or knob for hanging any thing upon.

KucK-HooKs, large hooks for catching salmon in the day-time.
V. Crar. Gloss.

Knack, to speak affectedly, to ape a style beyond the speaker's
education. Germ, knackerif to crack, to ^clip the king's
English."— Knackit, one quick at repartee, a clever child.

Knack-an]>-rattle, a quick and noisy mode of dancing with the
heels, a^iong the lower orders of society*

He jumps, and his heels knadc and rattle.

The CotUert* Pay IVedc.

Knack-kneb'd, in-kneed— having the knees so that they knack,

or strike, against each other in walking.
Knaggt, testy, ill-humoured, waspish. Derived, perhaps, from

Swed. gnagOy to tease, to torment.
Knags, Knaggs, pointed rocks, the nigged tops of a hilL V.

lhre,hnaggl%g. See, also. Knap.
Knap, the brow or projection of a hill. Sax. cntep, vortex

montis. Isl. gnop, prominentia. Su.-Got. hfusp, summitas

montis. In the Gospel of Saint Luke (ch. iv., v. S9,) where
* the Jews led our Saviour— tcnto the brow of the hill, the Saxon

expression is, tutes muntet cruep,
Knarl, a hunch-backed or dwarfish man. Old Eng. knurle, a

knot. Hence, a knarled or knurled tree, for a stunted or

knotty tree.
Knaw, V, to know. Sax. cnawan, " Aw know it weel."

A a

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178 KNIF

Khtflb, to steal, to pilfer. Q. Odt. cnefio, to shear?

Knocking-mell, a large wooden mallet wMch our ancestors used
to bruise and take &e outer husk from the barley, to fit it for
the poty before barley^mills were known.

Knocking-trouoii, a stone-trough, or mortar, in which the ope*
ration alluded to in the last article was performed. Many
hollow stones, originally applied to this purpose, are still to be
seen about farm-houses.

KNOTTY-TOHinr, milk IxMled and poured upon oatmeaL

KifoiTTBEBRY, a dwarf mulberry. RtAus chanksmonu* The
common people give it this name from a tradition that king
JTfiti/, or Canute, once relieved his hunger by it.

Knowb^ the top of a hill-^-a bare rounded hillock or eminence.
Sax. cnoUe. Teut. hnoUe^ a hill or knoU.

Kuss, V, to kiss. Welsh, c«#<iit.— -Kuss, «. a kiss, Welsh, ctu.

Kyb, or KiE, the plural of cows — kine. Sax. cr^, vaccae.

Kyle, a cock of hay. Fr. cueiUir, to gather.

KriiOES, a small sort of cattle, bred in the Highlands of Scot-
land — said to be from k^le, a Gaelic word for a ferry— over
which they are transported. But may it not be ^m Grerm.
kuMkieing a small cow?

Labbbrimg, floundering, struggling, or labouring in water.

Aw was $ettm the keel, wi* Dick Stavers an* Mat,

An* the Mansion-house Stairs we were just alangaide.
When we aw three see'd sumthing, hut didn't ken what.

That was splashing and iaUerinff aboot i' the tide.
« It's a flucker I" ki Dick ; «« No," ki Mat. ** its owre big.

It luick*d mair like a skyat when aw first see'd it rise ;*'
«< Kiv aw"— for awd getten a gl^o* the wig^

♦* Odds mercy ! Wye* marrows, becrike it's Lord *<Si*«."
Netmtik Song^ * My Lord *Size.^

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These lines afiude ta an accideat that befeU a great legal luam-
nary^ who unforttmatdy slipped into the wat^ dement a few
years ago.

Laboursoioe, made with much labour. *^Not now in use."
Todd's John. It b still in use among the Northern peasantry.

Laced-tba, tea having spirits in it; as some of our old women
drink their hyson.

Lacino, a good beating. V. Todd's John, laee^ £th. sense.

Lackits, small synns of money— odd things, genially.

Lai>, a boy; ori^nally a man; irom Sax. leade^ the people.
Langland-rthe reputed author of the Visions of Peu^ Plough-
man—ope of our earliest writers, uses laide^ in its primitive
aense^ from which, no doubt, proceeded Uuk^ lass. In Soot-
lai^d, the men are all lads, however old, ap long as they remain
^ a state of '* single blessedness." Sometimes applied to
M manner of men. The grandfather of a friend of mine, at
the age of 88, used to ask for his servant, aged about 55 or 60
-—where w my lad f

Laddib, a lover, a sweetheart— diminutive from lad.

Hay aw the piess-gang perish.
Each lass her laddie cherish,
Lang may the coal trade flourish.

Upon the dingy Tyne.

Ncwcarik Sotig, < The Keel Bffm.\

Lafteb, Lawter, as many ^ggs as a hen will lay before she

ii^cubates. Teut. Icgh-tyd^ tempus quo galhnae ova pariunt.
L aggin, the stave of a cask, tub, &c. V . Ibre, lagg.
Laidlt, ugly, foul, loathsome. Sax. lathlic. Fr. laid,
LAiNCHy a long stride. ''What a kdnch he has got"— how he

launches out his legs.
Lair, nure, dirt. Jalleir. Su.-Got. /<fr. To be laired^ to sdtk

in the mire. Swcd. fer, lera, clay, seems cognate.
Laird, ** the lord of a manor in the Scottish dialect," says Dr.

Johnson. This is its old meaning; but it is now a common

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ia<^ LAKE

name in Northumberland' and Cumberland for a proprietor of
land, without any relation to manorial rights.

What^s the Laird doing, Jock ?

Doing? What should he be doing! but sitting on his ane
louping^n-stane, glowring firae him.

Sage Sayings of Jock the Laird^t Man,

Lakb> v. to play. Sax. lacan^ ludere. M(B.-Got. laikan, exul-
tare. Swed. leka, to play. In Peirs Ploughman, layke.

Lake-wake, or Lyke-wake, the watching of a corpse previous
to interment. Sax. Uc, a body^ and tvtecee, a watching or
wake^ Swed. vakt'^vakHugcu It originally consisted of a
meeting of the friends and relations of the deceased, for the
purpose of watching by the body from the moment it ceased
to breathe, to its exportation to the grave; but the ceremony
was afterwards converted into a scene of feasting, dancing, and
revelry, extremely indecent on such a melancholy occasion.
Instances are related to have occurred, where the corpse was
forcibly kept unburied by the laaking friends, until they had
consumed, in this incongruous festivity, all that the deceased
had left behind him. The lakcwake is not yet entirely laid
ande in country villages, though somewhat fallen into disuse.
The funeral procession is opened by singers chaunting appro-
priate psalms, followed by two young girls dressed in white,
called servers; it being their business to attend to the wants
and wishes of the mourners. It was a custom with the An-
glo-Norman race to celebrate a solemn dirge during the cere-
mony of sepulture.

Laking, Baby-Lakin, a child's toy, a plaything.

Lam,, Lamb, to beat soundly, to chastise severely.

** Lamb them, lads ; lamb them !"— « cant phrase of the
time, derived from the fiite of Dr. Lambe, an astrologer and'
quack, who was knocked on the head by the rabble in Charles
the First's time.-— Pcveri/^^ Peakf VoL IV. j9, 152.

^ This is an error of our great Novellist. The word is used in

Digitized by VjOOQIC

LAP-B 181

two or three of die plays of Beaumont and Fletcher, writtett
before the conjuring Doctor's catastrophe, which did not hi^
pen until the year 1628, Besides, the derivation seems obvi-
ously from Isl. /em, veri)erare, or Teut. lompen, infligere. See
Thomson, who g^ves a Gothic root.

Lam, or Lamb, and its diminutive Lamioe, favourite terms of
endearment. ** Maw bonny lam** — ** maw canntf lammie"

Lameter, Lamiter, a cripple. " He'll be a lameter for life."

LaM-pat, to correct; principally applied to children— to beat
with a ferula. Fr. lame, a flat piece of wood or metal. See
Pay.

Land-louper, a person who flees the country for crime or debt.

' See Loup.

Lang, long. Common to the Saxon, Danish, and Dutch Lan«
guages. To think lanoj to long, to weary.

Lang-length, the whole length. '' He fell aw hig long length,**

Lang-loaning-cake, a cake made for school-boys on their return,
home at the vacation. /

Lang-saddle, or Lang-settle, a long wooden seat, or couch,
with a back and arms; usually of carved oak. These settles,
though still occasionally to be seen in the chimney-comer of
country houses — and some there are that have descended
through a number of generations— are going fast out of use :
— ^both the thing and the name. See Settle.

Langsome, tedious, tiresome. Sax. langsum. Swed. Ungsamy
slow, tardy, dilatory. — Langsomeness, tediousness, wearisome-
ness.

Langsynb, long since. Sax. longe siththan. Sw. ISng sedan,

Lant, the old name for the game of loo at cards; still retained
among the vulgar. — Lantered, looed. — Lanters, the players.

Lant, urine. V. Todd's John, land; 7th. sense.

Lap, preterite of leap. ** The horse lap the wall."

Lap-bander, that which Innds closely one thing to another—^,
wrap'^band, bind. A tremendous oath is frequently called a
lap^nder^

Digitized by VjOOQIC

Lap-up, to gjve up, to rdinquish, to discontinue— to wrap up

tools. Sec when the work is finished.
Lapstone, a cobbler's stone, on which be hanuners his leather.

The 9t<me is held in the /lap— whence the name.
Lake, learning, scholarship.* Pure Saxon. — Labjb-father, in-
structor. Both Chaucer and Spenser use lere.
Lasche, cold and moist— not actually rain. Fr. Ucke, Lat.

kuut. y. Moor, kuh or kuhy,
LASHIOILLAVEB7, LusHEYoiLAYET, plenty of iBMt and drink; a

superfluity. Probably from lavith* Mere cant.
Last, a measure of com — 80 bushels. Sax. hlteU. Su^Got.

laeiL V. Tomlins^ Law Dictionary.
Lastt, serriceable, durable, continuing — lasting,
Lat, a lath. Sax. latta. Dut. lai. Fr. /So^.-^Lat-and-plas-

TEB, an ironical phrase for a tall and slender person — one as

ihm at a iatk. — Lat^eiteb, a mgker of laths.
Latch. ». to catch, to lay hold of. Sax. keccaUf prdiendere. A

very old word» still in use in the North.

When that he Gakthe besought
Of lore, which he might not lache.

Gower, Confisth AmtmHt.

Late, or Leat, to search, to seek, to sununon, to invite. Goth,
and Isl. leyta, quserere. Hence Court Leet^ a court to which
aU frediolders within the district are invited. V. Black.
Comm, Vol. IV., p. 273* — Latino, or Leating, a summons
or invitatron. Dr. Willan mentions Leating, or LaHng^row, a
district from which matrons are invited by special summons to
be present at a child-birth, or at the deatJi of any of the inha-
bitants. Should a matron within the limits have been, through
inadvertence or mistake, omitted on such an occasion, it is an
affiront not to be foigiven.

Lather, to beat or chastise. See Leathge.

Lattbn, pkte-tin. Pistol's sarcastic

Challenge of this kUen bilbo,— ifffrr^ Wivct of Wwdtor.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

LAVE 183

Has been ^ a stumbling block/' not so miicfa ^ to the gene«
rality of readers/' as Sir Thomas Hanmer would express it,
but to the commentators themselves. See the learned re>

• marks of the " collective wisdom/' in the last Varior. Edit.
of Shakspeare, Vol. YIIL, p. 2S-3; to which should be ad-
ded Sir Thomas's idea—'' a factitious metaL" The meaning of
the word latten has puzzled our best antiquaries. In Todd's
Johnson it is defined to be, ''a mixed kind of metal, made of
copper and calamine : said by some to be the old orichalc;"
in another word, brass; though the authority quoted from
Gower proves that ''laton" and ''bras" are two distinct
things. In the Dictionaries of Kersey, Bailey, Dyche, and
Ash, latten is explained to be iron tinned over, which is in fact
what is called tin. P^ge, also, states latten to be tin. But
on turning to Nares' Glossary, I find the worthy Archdeacon
labouring hard at its transmutation into brau. The days of
alchymy, however, are past. In addition, it may be observei^
that Ruddiman — the learned Glossarist to Douglas' "Virgil —
interprets lated^ iron covered with tin. This was also the
opinion of Bitson, a writer of elaborate research, and deep
penetration — ^minutely accurate in his elucidations of our an-
dent dialect, with which he was well acquainted. Pettus, too^
in his E»tay$ on Words MetaUick^ says, that " thin plates of
vtoa tinned over are vulgarly called lattonJ* He, also^ con-
ceives that the white brats, mentioned by Pliny (L 34^ c II)
was no other than brass tinned over, and called ktten, or atui-
calcum.

Latter, v. to run in a vagrant or hasty manner. Hence, Lat-
TBRiN, or Latherin, a drab, a trollop. " A lazy latherinJ*
In Swed. Idtja, is idleness, laziness.

Lave, v, to empty, to draw or take out water or other liquid— to
lade. Fr. lever. An old word used by Chaucer.

Lave, s. the residue — ^tiiose who are omitted. A pure Saxon
word, occurring in Peirs Ploughman. It also means a crowd.

Of prelates proud, a populous lave^
And abbots boldly there were known ;

Digitized by VjOOQIC

184 LAVR

With biahop of St Andrew's brave.
Who was King James's bastard son.

BatOe^ Floddofu

In ancient times the dignitaries of the church, holding the
- temporalities of their benefices of the King, as barons by the
tenure of military service, were bound by the feudal law» to
attend him in his wars with their dependents. At the battle
of Neville's Cross, where the Scottish king became a captive,
the English army was in part commanded by two Archbishops
and three suffragans.
tiAVROCK, Laverock, the sky-lark. Sax. lafercy lawerc.
Here hear my Kenna sing a song.
There see a blackbird feed her young.
Or a kverock build her nest
Here give my weary spirits rest.

WaiUmy Angtet^t WUh^

Law, 1. a hill or eminence, whether natural or artificial. Bax.
hkew, Maw, agger, acervus. Moe.-Got. hlaiw, monumentum.
The term is firequendy applied to a high ground of some littie
extent, though flat and level at the top. It enters largely into
the composition of the names of vills and hamlets in the North.

Law, a. low. Dan, /i0tt.— Lawlt, lowly, humble.

Law hb ! Lawful ue ! firequent colloquial exclamations, imply-
ing dther wonder or fear— iorrf bless me.

Lays, Laggs, dregs, sediment — lees. Span, lias.

Lea, a rich meadow or pasture — any kind of grass land. Sax.
leagy campus, pascuum. The word is used by Spenser, and
several times by Shakspeare.

Lead, to carry. In the North they lead coals and almost every
thing, which, elsewhere, they carry, or cart.

Lead-eater, elastic gum, or Indian rubber. A name by no
means inappropriate.

Leagh, or Leigh, a scythe. It may be firom lea, meadow, and
ag, to cut ; or Swed. lie, a scythe.

Leah, a flame. Sax. leoma, Chaucer uses hme in a sense
nearly similar.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

LEAT 185

LBAMBRy or LBmiBity a ripe nut. See Bbown^leakbb.

Lean, in the setuie gT^ to conceal. Y. Todd's John.

LBAPiNG*TBB-WBLLy going through a deep and noisome pool on
Alnwick Moor, called the Kreemen's Well— « nne qua non to
the freedom of the borou^. On Saint Mark's day, the aspi*
rants proceed in great atate, and in equal sfmits, from the
town to the moor, where they draw up in a body, at some dis*
tance fit)m the water, and on a signal being given, they scram*
ble duough the mud with great labour and difficulty. They
may be said to come out in a condition not much better than
^ the heroes of the Dunciad after diving in Fleet Ditch."
There is a current tradition, that this strange and ridiculous
custom— 4^endered more ludicrous by bdng performed in white
clothing — ^was imposed by that capricious tyrant. King John,
who, it is said, was bogged in this very pool. I witnessed the
ceremony a few years ago, and I can assure my friend, Mr.
Surtees, that there is no foundation for his supposition, that
they contrive to keep the pond dry.

Lbabn, to teach^confbrmable to Sax. laran. This sense is not
yet obsolete.

Leash, to ply the whip. See Nares' Glossary.

Leathe, a place for storing hay and com in winter— a barn.
Lathe is used by Chaucer. V. Skinner, lath.

Leather, v. to beat soundly. Perhaps from the instrument
originally employed — a strap. Leathering is a very, ancient
vulgar term for a beating.

Lbatbeb, the vulgar pronunciation of ladder.

Charitie is the highest step in all the leather to heaven, and
will reach nearest heaven. — WhitHngham'i fFiff, 1681.

LbatbebpHBAd, Leather^heed, a block-head, a thick-skull*
Lanthom Leatherhead, one of the characters in Ben Jonson's
Bartholomew FaSr, has been thought to have been meant for
Injgo Jones; but Mr. Giffi>rd doubts it.

Lkathba-hunory, tough cheese. See old Tusser's Lesson for
Dairy Maid Cisley.

Bb

Digitized by VjOOQIC

im LEAV

Leav|b, Lieve, or Liep^ willingly^ rather, as soon. Sax. leaf.

14^ is common in Shakspeare, and his contemporaries. —

LiVAyER, or Liefer, more willingly^ sooner. Sax. Uafre,

!E|pth Gower and Chaucer often use the comparative lever.
Leajses^ iea8ows.—iVett;c. Sax. Ueswe^ a pasture^ a common,

Nprm. Fr. leswety lesues, pasture-ground.
Leck, to leak. Isl. lek^ stillare. Swed. laka, to leak. — Leck-

ON«AND-OFF, to pouT ou, and drain 0% gradually.
Lee, v. to lie^ to tell a falsehood. Sax. leogaru ^^ Thou leegj*

-^Leb, «. a lie. This word, vulgar as it is, occcurs in Chaucer.

— Leb-with-a-latchbt, a monstrous falsehood. V. Nares. —

Leear, a liar. ** The king of leear$P
Leet, v. to meet with, to fall out, to alight.-«-LEET, 1. light. —

Leet, 0. light. ** When thau heart's sad, can mine be leet?^*
Leets, the lungs or lights. Used, also, for windows — Ughts,
Leetsomb, light, comfortable, cheerful — lightsome.
Leil, honest, faithful, constant. Old. Fr. leal, leaul.
Leish, Lish, nimble, strong, active, stout, alert.
Leister, a prong or trident, used to strike fish. See Blazs.

Su«"Got. litutra, ■ percutere. Bunts, humorously enough,

makes this instrument a part of the paraphernalia of Death, id-
* his celebrated satire on Dr. Hornbook.

An awiu' scythe, out owre ae shouth^r.

Clear dangling hang ;
A three-tae'd kitier on the ither
Lay, large and lang.

Len, v. to lend. Sax. ksfuin, — Len, 1. a loan. Sax. &?»•
Length, s, applied to stature, instead of hdght.>— Lengthy, tall,

as well as, long.
Lennert, our Northern word for a linnet
Letch, a long narrow swamp in which water moves slowly

among rushes and grass — ^a wet ditch.
Let-leet, to inform, to disclose. To kt tn light.
Let-on, to alight upon, to meet with or encounter. ^ He never

let on*' — he never got or found what he wanted. ' Isl. laeta^

ostendere.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

UKl 187

LEt-wrr, to make known. Dut, laaten weeten. Sw. IM veto,
Leuf, LuFEy LuiF, the palm of |he hand. A very ancient word.

y. Jamieson. Outside the Ipif^ back of the hand— equivalent

to rejection and repulse.
Lkuk, v. to look.— Leuk> «. ^ look.— Lecks, the countenance—

looks, ** His leukt wad apaen a calf."
Lhw, mild, calm. — Lew-w^rm , tepid— /«^e-t&ann, Teut. lauwen,

tepefacere.
Lbwd, wild, ungovernable; as a /!?t&i pointer.
Li9, to emasculate. Dut. Ivhben. Used by Bishop Hall, Mas-

dnger, and others.r— Libber, qui castrat. lAb, appears the

same as gUby m The Winter^ s Tale, Act 11. Sc. 1.
LiCKLV^ likely, probable.^— Lickusst, the superlative degree.
Licks, a sound beating, a severe chastisement. The v^ Ikk^ I

believe, is a ^neral provindalism.
Lift, asssstaiyse. To give a lifty to lend a helping hand.
Lift, the sl^y. The same idea as heaven — Sheaved or lifted up.
LiG^ to lie down, to rest the limbs. Common to the Saxon and

most pf the Northern languages. Both Chaucer and Spenser

use it.*^LiG-HA-LAST, a loiterer, the last. — Lig-o-bed, one who

IifBS long in bed — the ** slug-a-bed" of Shakspeare.
LiGGEE, or LiONiE, a carved lignum viUs coit for playing at dod'

ddrty or the game of trippvt and coU.
Lightening, break of day. Sax. Uhtan, to illuminate.
Like, to please, to be agreeable to. Dr. Johnson is mistaken in

thinking it disused.
Like, obliged, under a necessity. *^ Fm Uke to go." ** She's

like to do it." Q. from Ugo, to tie? as our common people

say, such a thing is ** tied to be so ;" t. e. it must be so.
Liken'd. ** I had /iAr^ecf."- 1 was in danger of. Pegge.
Liking, delight, pleasure. Sax. licung. An old Scotch word,

occurring in that fine and animating passage from Barbour's

Bruce, ^oted by Dr. Jamieson.

A ! freedome is a n^ble thing !
Fredome mayss man to h^MS lining !

Digitized by VjOOQIC

188 LILE

Fredome all solace to man giffis ;
He levys at en, that Gteiy levya.

LiLB, little. Swed. KOe^ adj. def. Bien. Widegren.

jALLy to assuage pain. Lat. laQare, to lulL

LnxT-wuNs! LiLLT-wuNTERS ! cxdamations of amazement.
lAfy woundi — from the crudfixion ?

Lilt, to ong, by not using words of meaning, but tunelul sylla-
bles only. — North. Su.-Got. luUa, canere.

IVe heard a Ultuigi at the ewes milking.

Flowers ofihe Forest.

LiMBO, in gaol— the ablative of lAmbus, the place of the d^arted
Saints and Holy Men who died before the crucifixion. V*
Du Cange. ^He's getten into Imbo, tip the nineteen Hep^*
— he is under confinement in Newcastle (<dd) gad. Bastwidk,
the fiiend and associate of Prynne and Burton, designates \ns
imprisonment in the Gatehouse (to which he was committed
for writing FUigelkm Pontificis et Ejntcoporum Latkdium) in
Limbo Patnm. V. Letany of John Bastwiek, Doctor of
Phifflcke, 4to. 1037, jmuWin.

LiMMER, a female of loose manners, or easy virtue. — Ldoibr^
LOON, a mischieyous young man— a rogue, a scoundrel.

LiuMERS, shafts for a cart or carriage. lal. Umar^ rami arbonun.

Lin, v. to cease, to 8t<^. Id. Una^ enerrare, finangere.

Yet our northern prikkers, the borderers, notwithstancfing,
with great enormitie (as thought me), and not unlyke (to be
playn) unto a masterless hounde hougUng in a hie wey, when
he hath lost him he wayted upon, sum hoopyng, sum whistel-
yng, and moste with crying a Berwyke ! a Berwyke ! a Fen--
•wylcel a Fenwykel a Bukner! a Suimer! or so ootherwise aa
theyr capteins names wear, never Utinde those troublous and
daimgerous noyses all the night long.

PaUenU Ex^edkion of the Duke qf Somerset.
Set a beggar on horseback, he*ll never Un till he be a-gallop.

Ben Jonson, Staple of News.

Lin, 8. linen. Swed. lin^ flax; linne^ linen.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

LITH I»

Ias, «. the lime tree. Swed. Hnd, lime free.

L1N9 Linn, a cascade, a pfeai{iice;-^i>vr. and Narik, Sax.
hfynna^ a torrent. Isl. /snc^, a cascade. In Northumberland
the word is sometimes used to denote a pool formed below %
waterfall ; agreeing in this sense with Welsh Uyn, a Itke*

The near'st to her of km
It Tooth j« tripping down fcom Yerwin's rushy Stu

Lino, provindaUy, heath. Erica vulgaris. Is). Ung.

LiNGYy active, strong, able to bear fetigue — also In the sense of

tall, athletic, vigorous.
LmiEL, shoe-maker's thread. Fr. lignenl. The same as Hn§e!,

which is described in Nares' Glossary as '' a sort of thong used

by shoe-makers and cobblers; from lingfda,"
Links, sandy barren ground — sand-hills on the sea shore. V.

Jamieson.
LiN-PiN, a linch pin — ^the pin which goes through tiie axle tree

to keep on the wheels. Su.-Got. lunta^ paxillus axis. Jam.
LiPPEN, to expect, to depend upon. " I Uppened on you to join

me." Sax. leqfeny credere.
LiPPER, spray from small waves ; either at sea, or in a river.
LiBK, V. to crease, to rumple. Isl. lerka, contrahere^-— Lntx, «.

a crease, a wrinkle.
LiSK, the groin. *^ A pain in the liskJ* Dan. and Swed. Uuskek
Listen, the selvage of woollen doth. Sax. Hit Dan. Rste,
Lite, to rely on, to trust to, to depend upon. Swed. /tto,
Lite, litde. An old word from Sax. fyt; used by Chaucer, both

as a substantive and an adjective; and still retained in the

North. Lall, and Lile, also mean littie. I cannot pretend

to reconcile these dialectical variations.
Lithe, to listen. " Xt^A^ ye'*— hark you. X^^, Pdrs Plough-
man. Su.-Got. Itfda, audire, fyda iiliy aures advertere.
Lithe, Lithen, to mix, to thicken ; as to lithe the potv-^-LiTH-

vtOg LiTHEUM, a mixture, or thickening for the pot; such as

oatmeal, flour, &c. V. Wilbraham, and Jamieson.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

190 LITT

L1TTLB8T9 least, the regular Northern niperhitive of litde.

Where lo^e is great the tUOcii doubts are fear.

Shak. Hamkt,

JjzttEf an abbreviation of Elizabeth. ^ Lizzie Moody."

LoAKy or LoKBy a small quantity; as a loke of hay, a loke of
meal, a loke of sand. V. Jam, lock, loake.

Loak! Loak*a-i>azib ! LoAK-A*DAZiB-ite ! exclamations of sur-
prise or pleasure, modulated to suit the occasion.

LoAi^ or LoLLy to make a stmge noise, to mew like a c«*t. V.
Jam. Supp. halting.

Loaning, Lonnin, a lane or bye-road, Sved. ISungSng.

Loaning, a place near country villages for milking cows. V.
Jamieson, loan.

But now I bear moaning on ilka green batikig.

Flowers of the Foreet,

LoiMXKX, a contemptuous epithet for a sluggish person.

I now must leave you all alas.
And live with some old kibcock ass !

Breton^ Works of a VoiNfg Wit.

Loch, a lake. A pure Gaelic word. There is Black Lodk, in
the county of Northumberland.

LoE, Lowe, synonymous with Law; which see.

Loop, rather, as soon. Sax. leof. See Leave.

Loon, to weed corn — ^to look for, or clear it oi^ weeds, V.
Ray.

LoLLOCK, or Lollop, a lump ; as, a loUock of fat.

Lollop, to walk in an undulating manner— to move heavily.

Lone, single. '* A lone woman*' — a female unmarried, or a widow
without children. This word appears in Todd's Johnson as if
]( were obsolete, which is not the case in the North.

Loon, J«oun, Lownb, an idle vagabond, a worthless fellow, a
rascal. The word is old; but etymologists are not agreed in
the derivation. A learned friend derives it from Germ, lugen,
to lie; addmg, that lugen-maidp literally lying chops, is a huge

Digitized by VjOOQIC

LOUG 191

♦

liar. Shakspeare has evidently taken the stanzas in the drink*
ing scene in Othello, from the ancient version of. Take thy old
Cloak about thee, recovered by Bishop Percy, and published
by him in the 1st. Vol. of his Reliques of Ancient English
Poetry.

King Stephen was a worthy peeie.
His breeches cost him but a crowne.

He held them sixpence all too deere;
Therefore he call'd the taylor Xowne.

LooR, Lour, to stoop in walking^to Umer^^North,
LoosE-i'-THS-HEFT, a disorderly person, a vagabond — uncertain

in his haunts. See Heft.
Lop, Loppe, a flea. Pure Saxon. Swed. loppa, la the ^d-

dle Ages, when this enemy to mankind infested a bed, it was

attributed to the envy of the Devil.
LoppEN, LuppEN, pret, leaped. Sax. hieop. Swed. lupen.

Luppen, also means, Mr. CuUey says, burst from swelling.
LopPER, to coagulate. Loppered milk — ^milk that sours and

curdles without the application of an add. Swed. ISpa, to

run together. Sc. tapper, to curdle. Isl. hlaupf coagulum.
LopSTROFoiiOUS, mischievous, dBmorovLO'^obstreperous.

L6bitrcp*lotts fellows, we kick'd them O.

Song, Swaltpett Hopphig,

LosiNG-LEATHER, an injury in a tender part, to which inexpe-
rienced riders are subject; and which makes them, what is
elsewhere called, saddle sick. It is a rustic idea— counte-
nanced by some old authors — that a sprig of elder, in which
there is a joint, worn in one of the lower pockets, wll operate
as a charm against this gaUing inconvenience ; but whether

To harden breech, or soften horse,
I leave't to th' learned to discourse.

Fkcknoe, Viarium,

LouGir, a lake, " Keemer Lough.^'-^Nor^ V. Thomson.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

192 I«OUK

LocJK, to weed a field of quicken gnas^'^yark. See Look.

LoDN, Lown'd, calm^ sheltered from the wind* Ld. logu, mna
tranquillitas. Swed. lugn, adm^ serene.

LouNDfiRy to beat with severe strokes* V^ Jandeson.

Lounge, a large lump ; as of hread or cheese. Span, loncka^ a
lunch.

Loup, v. to leap. Su.-Got. loepa^ currere. Sw. ISpoy to run.—
Loup, i, a leap or spring.— Loupino, the act of leaping.
** Loupinge, or skyppinge. Saltus." Prompt. Panr.

Loup, v. to cover. Teut. loopen, catulire.

Loup-THB-LANG-ttONNiN) A name for the game of leap frog.

LoUPir«l>nEB, a term of contempt; conjoining the ideas of im*-
prudence and waywardness. Sometimes applied to one of
those expeditions that maidens sigh for, but which prudent
matrons deprecate ai shamdess and untoward* It haa no
doubt been adopted from its primary iq>plication to cattle
lei^ngddike.

Louse, to unbind» to release, to leave off* work'^^to loose.

lotrt, V. to bow in the rustic fruhion. Sax. hluiaUf to bend.
Swed. luidj to stoop. This word is used by Gower, Chaucer,
Spenser, and other ancient English writers.

Lout, «. a stupid awkward person. Teut« iaete^ homo insulsus.
Shakspeare writes it lowt. .

LoTESOMB, lovely. Sax. lossum, delectabilis. In Peirs Plough-
man, Chaucer, &c. Indeed, in old English, some and fy are
used indifferently as termination^ of adjectives

LowANCB, an aihwance of drink to work-people ; espedally that
which is given in the harvest fidd. The laigess of a stiaqger
is received widi a loud huxza, intermin^ed with the screams and
shrills of the women. V. Moor, lowans*
Lowi^ e. to make a bright flame.— Lowfi^ «. a flame, a blax^ a
light. Su.-Got. logii, Isl. logiy flamma. — Lillt-lowe, a
comfortable blaze. Lilly, which is probably from Sax. Ug,
flamma, seems redundant.
LowRT, Lowery, overcast, threatening to be wet, or stormy—
lowering. Spoken only, I think, of the weather.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

LUItD 193

Lvcic*l%Nirr> a small sam of money returned to the pardiaiery
On selling horses or cattle, by way of ensuring good luck.

LvGKY, large, wide, easy. Country tailws generally receive di-
rections to make their customers' clothes '* brave and lucky^

Lug, tlie ear. An old word, both in England and in So<Aland.
Su.-6ot. lugga. Sax. ge4uggian, to pull— the ear being a
part easily pulled or lugged.

LuGGiE, a wooden dish. Bums, in the poem of Halloufeen,
alludes to a singular species of divination with ** luggies three,"
which is minutely described in a note*

LuGGiSH, a. dull, heavy, stupid. Probably loggUk,

hvQGJSUf s, an indolent^ or idle fellow. ^ Loup, ye luggitk, ye
ha' nae spunk in ye."

Li^M, a deep pool of water, the still part of a nvet^^^Lanc^

LuM , the chimney of a cottage. Welsh, Uumon. Looer, in Lan-
cashire, and also in some parts of Yorkshire, is a term for a
chimney ; or rather for an aperture in the roof of old houses,
where the fire was in the centre of the room, through which
the smoke was emitted, there being nothing analogous to our
chimney. In those days, halls smoky, but filled with good
cheer, were thought no inconvenience. Lideed, dte smok^
was supposed to harden the timber, and to be good physio for
the family. I find lover in Peirs Ploughman, and also in ^e

, FaeHe Queene; probably fi'om Fr. PouverHf. Sibbald (!0n«>
jectures tiiat lum may be from Sax. leom^ light— scaroely any
other light being admitted, except through this hole. Brandy
on the other hand, asks if it may not be derived ifrom ^ekUM
or day wherewith the wattle work is daubed over inside and
out? Thus iire find

No end, in wandering mazes losL-^MUton,

LuM-sooPER, a chimney, or lumF^weeper.^^Ndrih, mtd NeWe^

iitlftDAi«B, a drone or sluggard, teut. loerdi homo ignavus.

Old Ital. lordonty a foul, filthy, sloven. Fr. lonrddudt a dunce,

II blockhead. SOme o^d writers, however, pretend td derive

this word from Lof-d JDd^-Mi name giv6n (ihore frOdn iSf^d

Digitized by VjOOQIC

194 LURP

than dignity) po those Danes, who, when tiiey ^ere masters
of the islandi were distributed in private houses; where they
are said to hgve conducted themseiyes, or, if the expression be
permittedWord^£? over the inhabitants, widi outrageous inso-
lence and pride.

In every house Lord Dane did then rule all ;
Whence layaie lozels lurdanet now we calL

Mirror fir MagUtrates.

LuRDT, lazy, sluggish. Fr. hurd, duU, stupid. Ital. iordo, foul,
dirty, filthy.

Ltert, the lean or muscular flesh of an animal; espedaUy that
on the buttocks. Sax. lira, viscum.

Ltka ! listen— an exclamation of astonishment. An abbrevia-
tion of look ye I ** Lyka man ! what do I hear you say ?"

M.

Mab, v. to dress carelessly. Hence, Mab-cap, generally called
. moh-capy a cap which ties under the chin — ^wom by elderly
1 women. , -

Mab, j. a slattern. It is, I am told, a diminutive of Abigail, a

cant name for a lady's waiting-maid — ^whence the verb.
Mack, v. to make. Preterite, m*yed, Grerm. machetty to make.
Mack, j. kind, sort, fashion — a match or equal. Swed. nuske*
Mack-bould, to venture, or take the liberty — ^to make bold,
Mackless, matchless, unequalled. Swed. makalSsf incomparable.
Macks, sorts, fashions — makes. ^ A little o' a' macks.**
Mackshift, a substitute or expedient in a case of necessity or

difficulty-r-a mo^e^^i/l^.
Maddlb, to wander, to talk inconsistentiy, tofoi^get or confound

objects, as if in a, state bordering on delirium. .
Madpash, a person disordered in the mind — a, madbrain. "From

mad, and pashy a ludicrous term for the head.

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MAIS 195

MjomSf to stammer^ to 6e i»izz]ed*-to act by means inadequate
to the attainment of the object or end proposed — like one in
dota^ Tent, tm^elen, balbutire.— Majpfuno, a state of per-

* plexity.

Magoy, a proTindal name for a magpie. See Pianbt.

Maii^ a rent— >mohey exacted by Freebooters on the Borders.
Sax« mal, stq^endinm, pretimn.

Mail, a travelling tmnk. F. malkt a trunk, or box.

Maiun, or Mastlin, a sort of mop made of old rags, with a long
pole« for cleaning out an oyea.'^metaphoricalfy, a dirty careless
wench. V. Todd*s Johnson, nuMny and maukin*

MAiujSiffi MsALLiN, the quantity of milk which a cow ^ves at
once; as well as the appointed time of milking her. Sax.
99^ portio, spatium temporis — ^a meal.

Main, «« might, strength, exertion. Sax. nuegn. Isl. magn,
^hakspeare endeavours to be superlatively witty, in his pun on
the word» in 2d. Part King Henry VI.

8a t-— Then Iet*8 make haste away, and look
Unto the main.

War. — ^Unto the mam / O &ther, Matne is lost ;
That Maine which by main force Warwick did win,
^nd would have kept so long as breath did last : - •
JUaliMihaiuJe, fiither, you meant $ but I meant Mfaines
Which I will win firom France, or else be skin.

Main, used adverbially for very ; as main dark.

Mains, a farm, or fields, attached to a mansion bouse, m the

occupation of the owner-— lands in dominico, dediesne lands.
. See Du Cange, mansus dominicatut ; and Skene de Verb. Sig-

ntficat. vo. manerium.
Mainswear, or Manswbab, to take a false oath. Sax. mansitfC'

riany p^erare. Dan. meentvoren, perjured. — Mainswearing,

or Manswearino, perjury.
BIaist, most. Sax. maest. — Maistlv, mostly. — Maistlings, for

the most part.
Maister, master, mister. Sax. mcester. Old Eng. mayster.

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196 MAIS

O maytier dese ood ftdir revesent.

My fMjfHar CluuiceE* floure ofjeloquence.

Oficleoc de Begimnfi Prwey^
Gower, that first garnished our En^ish rude ;
And maUter Chaucer » that noUj eBteipnaed
How that Sngliflh mjght fresbelj he enaewed*

SteUonU Cnnme ofLaurdL

Maisterman, a common term for a husband.

Maistrt, skill, power, superiority — mtutery, Fr. mautrie.

Make, a companion or equal. An old word. Sax. maca, socius,
consors, conjux. Swed. make, spouse, mate.

Makb-count, V, to calculate on, to mean or intend to do any
thing. 'Fr./aire compte, to be assured.

MAKB-cocn4T, J. a makeweight — something over. Germ« zu-^e^
wioki,

Makel^ss, matchless, without an equal. Su.-Got. niakaloes.
Swed. makMs, excellent, above compare. This latter word in
the Grecian garb of MAKEA12Z— adopted by the learned
Queen Christina, on one of her numerous medals (Brenner
Num. Sueo.-Godi. Chr. Tab. iy.>-sadly perplexed the anti*
quari^ at Borne,

Mallt, a g^l's Dame«^Maiy. V. Thomson, Mfdfy.

MA14.T, a name for the hare. — Dur. Sc maukin, mawkin.

Mamiibr, to be in doubt, to hesitate, to mutter, to murmur.

I wonder in my soul.
What you coul4 ask me, that I should deny*
Or stand so mammering oiL^^Shak. OtheUo.

Sir Thomas Hanmer most unfortunatdy refers to Fr. m* amour,
which, he says, ^ men were apt often to repeat when th^ were
not prepared to give a direct answer 1" This is Hanrnering
our illustrious bard, with a vengeance.

Mammy, a childish name for mother. Teut. mammff, mater.

Manadge, a box or dub instituted by inferior sKq>-ke^ers<r-
generally linen»drapers-r-for supplying goods to poor or im-
provident people, who agree to pay for them by instahnents—

Digitized by VjOOQIC

MARK 197

a mode of dealing extremely luerative to ^e one puty, hat
sadly the contrary to the otiier. Of late, mudt of diis deser-
vedly disrqputaUe trade has been in the hands o£manadge»
women, who become responsiUe to llie drapers for what &ey
too often impose on their deluded customers. The word is
obviously derived from Fr. menage^ way of saving, parsimony.
Mang, t, barley or oats ground with the husks ; given to dogs
and swine. Perhaps from Sax. mengean, to min^e. Mung*
com, mixed com, occurs in ancient records. Mongcom is also
an old English word. '

Manner, dung, or compost^-mofittre.
Mannie, a diminutive of man. ** A tight little mannieJ*
Mafpbn, perhaps— -it may happen.-'^nmb, and West
March, a land-mark, a boundary-line or division. Sax. mearc,
Fr. marche. Our modem word demarcation is cognate.—
Marches, the borders of a kingdom ; as the marches, or limits
between England and Scotland, when these were considered as
enemies' countries. There were mardi laws, and mareh courts
of judicature, of which the Wardens were supreme judges.

They of those marches^ gracious sovereign.
Shall be a wall sufficient to defend
Our inland from the pilfering bcarderers.

Shak. Hen. V.

Mare, more. Pure Saxon. Germ, mehr, Sc. mair.
Margit, the usual pronunciation of Margaret.
Marrow, or (as sometimes written) Marra, t;. to match, to
equal.

'Bout Lunnun th^i divent ye myek sic a rout.
There's nowse there maw winkers to dazzle ;

For aw the fine things ye are gobbin about.
We can marra iv Canny Newcassel.

Song, Canny NewotuseL

Marrow, t, a mess-mate, companion, or associate— an equal.
See Ruddiman's Glossary to Douglas.

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198 MARR

Marrows, fellows ; two alike, or correspondmg to each other ;
' as a pair of gloines, a pair of stockings, a pair of shoes.

Marrowlbss, without a match, incomparable. See Makelbss.

Marrt ! Marrt-on*us ! Marrt-come-oot ! Marry-c(»[»>i»> !
conmion interjections ^purposed disguises in &Tour of pious
ears, Marry^ according to Brand, was ori^ally, in Popish
timesy a mode of swearing by the ^^^igin Mary.

BfARRT-AND-SHAix, that I will. Often used by old peq[»le. It
occurs in 3d. Part of Shak. Kmg Henry VL Prdbably the
remnant of a papistical invocation — hy the Virgin wili L

Marrt-on, to tie the conjugal knot. '' What d'ye think ! MisB
A is married on Mt, B ." A pure NorthumtHianism.

Mart, a cow or ox slaughtered at Martinmas, and hung up to
dry for winter provision. The custom of salting meat to last
throughout the inclement months was universal among our
ancestors. Though less frequent, since the extensive cultiva-
tion of turnips, it still partially prevails in Newcastle and the
naghbourhood, where it is not unusual for a few femilies. to
jom in the purchase of a Mart, at the fair held oa old Mar*
tinmas Day, and to divide it among them.

Mask, to infuse. '* Mask the tea." Identical with nuuh, as
applied to brewing. Swed. mhtka, to mash. The original
idea is mix.

Mason-due, the vulgar name for an ancient hos^Htal, on tiie
Sandhill, Newcastle, lately taken down. Evidently a com^
tion of Fr. MiMon de Dieu, a house of God, or religious hospi-
tal. Meason-4ue occurs in a stat. of Queen Eliz, Chaucer
writes it maisondewe.

Masselgem, a mixture of wheat and rye for housefa<^ bread—
f&atHn> Teut. moffo/uyn, farrago. Dut. masteleyn. OldTus*
ser, in homely phrase, describes the advantage of using a loaf
of this Und; and, with a true agricultural aj^petite, talks of a
rpund, a foot broad.

BfAUD, Mawd, a plaid worn by the Cheviot shepherds. Su.-
Got. muddi a garment made of rein-de^r skins. V. Ihre.

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MAY 199

Good antiquaries are of opinion, that the JEBghland plaid is
the actual successor and representative of the Roman toga.
Its ancient uses are still preserved. The Romans, as well as
the Scots, slept On it, and it was extended over the nuptial
bed.

Maup, Maugh, Meaugh, a brother-in-law. V. Lye, nuBg / Sib-
bald (Glossary of ancient Scottish Words), nudgh; and Jam.
foaich,

Mauk, Mawk, a maggot, a gentie. Su.-Got. maik, ant ; madk,

. vermis. Swed. matky a worm.

Maukt, Mawky, maggotty, whimsical, proud, capricious.

Maum, Maumy, mellow, soft. . Su.-Grot. mogna, to become mel-
low. To maum a crust of bread, is to soften it in water.

Maundbr, to wander about in a thoughtful manner; to be tedi-
ous in talking; to say a great deal, but irregularly and confu-
sedly ; to lose the thread of a discourse. Sc maunder, to talk
nonsense. In Norfolk, and some of the Soutii Eastern coun-
ties, it means to grumble, or murmur.

MAtNDERSR, a tedious and weary speaker, a confused, or inco-

. herent talker. . Gael, mandaghf a stutterer, seems allied.

Mavnt, Munclb, familiar and easy transmutations of, my aunt,

.^.my uncle. Borders of North. Nunch and Naunty for an
unde and an aunt, occur in Beaumont and Fletcher.

Maut, malt. *' A^Hllie brew'd a peck o' mautJ* Bums.

Mautsn-corn, com damped and beginning to gemunate— mo/^-
ing-eom, — North, ,V. Dire, malt

Maw, v. to mow, or cut with a scythe. Preterite, mew. Sax.
mawan. Grerm. mahen, — Mawer, a mower.

Maw y pronoun, my, mine, belonging to me. ^ Maw lunny."

Mawks, an ill behaved girl, a slattern.

Mawment, a puppet. Old English, maumet, an idol ; corrapted
from Mahomet, in derision.

May, the sweet-scented flower of the white thorn. See May-
Day Customs, Brand's Pop. Antiq. Vol. L, p. 179 & seq.
Rise up, maidens, fie for shame,
For I've been four lang miles from hame ;

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1^00 MEDD

I Ve been gatfaexing my garlandt gay $
Rise up, ikir maidst and take in your May.

Old Newcattk Sanff*

Major Moor gives an inaccurate version of this homely canti*
cle, in his Sufiblk Words, p. ^5. May games, as well as
many other harmless country amusements, have been too
hastily extinguished. The human mind — ^whether educated
or not — ^requires emplo^^ent; and the interdiction of rural
recreations, under the pretence of the improvement of the
people, will not eradicate licentiousness; nor can the multi-
tude be made good by compulsion alone. All such meddling
with the natural arrangement of society is mischievous, and
has a tendency to drive the lower orders to the public-house.

Mazed,^ astonished, atnazed. Also stupified^-rendered insensi-
ble by a blow. * Aw stood quite mazed.**

Me, forX A common grammatical error. Not, however, with-
out examples in our old language.

Meal-kail, hasty-pudding for breakfast or supper, among the
labouring people iti the Northern parts of Nordiumberland.

Mealt-mouthed, *' using soft words, concealing the real inten-
tion; speaking hypocritically." Todd's Johnson. It also
means, not telling a tale at fall length from motives of delicacy.
I should prefer Skinner's construction — mUd-mouthed or mel^
lotu-mottthed— hut derive the word from Fr. miele, honied | as
we say honied words.

Clayton was &lse, meaiie-tnouWd, and poore spirited.

Life ofAfU, a fVbod, p. 165.

Mean, to complain, to lament— -to moan. Sax. maenany dolere.

And thua she means-^Sfu^. Midtum. iV^V Drtom.

Mean, j. heavy complaint, lamentation — moan»

Meaning, shrinking; as, indicative of pain or lameness. Teat.

minckeuy mencken, to go lame, to limp.
MebSy, Mabees, Mavies, perhaps', probably — it may he,
Meddle-nor-make. *' He'll neither merfafe mr md^'*— he'll

not interfere. Sc. misdJiU nbr mak.

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MELL ^1

MEEB^tbe vulgat ward foramare. Also an abiisiTe terin among
the lower order o£ ladies in Newcastle.

Meet, fit, proper. Swed. miUtiig, modeSnte, temperate.

BCbggt-m ONNT-LEGS^ a lively insect often seen on garden walks—
milkpet. — DuK In North, it is called Meg-monnt-feet.

BbsLDEA, a making of meal — ^a parcel of com gronnd at one time.
In some places the fiumers lure the miller, and in turns have
a winter stock of meal made. The meldering day used to be,
and perhaps still is, a kind of feast among the yeomanry. Fr.
tnoudre, to grind ; or, according to Dr. Jamieson, Isl. malldrp
molitura, from mala, to grind.

Mell, v. to intermeddle, to engage in, to interfere with. Fr.
mekr. ** I shall not meU with your afi^rs.** The commenta-
tors are not agreed on the expression.

Men are to nteU with.— 5^. AlTs WeA that Ends WdL

It means men are to meddle with ; without the least allusion
to the indecent idea surmised by Theobald.

Mell» «• to pound, to bruise— from the instrument used.

Meu^ «. a wooden mallet, or hammer; generally with a long
handle. Lat. malleus, the ancient mallet, or maule. This
wei^n, under the name of mto/ner, was assigned by the Goths,
to their God Thor.

Mbll-doix, an image of com, dressed like a doll, carried in
triumph — amidst the most frantic screaming of the women—
on the last day of reapmg. In some places they call it a Kern
{com) Baby. There is also, occasionally, a Harvest Queen —
thou^t to be a representation of the Roman Ceres— apparel-
led in great finery, and crowned with flowers ; with a scythe in
one hand, and a portion of com in the other. This old cus-
tom is noticed by Hentzner, in his Joumey into England, du-
ring the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Strawberry Hill Edition,
p. 79.

Meli^vpper, a supper and merry-making on the evening of the
conclusive reaping day— the feast of harvest home. Besides
a grand display of excellent old English cheer, with a mixture

Dd

Digitized by VjOOQIC

^2 |if£Ll

of modem go^^ to enlarge the fiphere of epicureoD en)»y]iieiit»
there is dandng, masking and disguisingi and every other sort
of mirth to expand a rustic heart to gaiety. AcccMrding to
Hutchinson, the Historian of Northumberland, the name of
this supper is derived from the rites of Ceres, when an offering
of the first finiits was made; the word melle being a provincial
word, equivalent to mingie: implying that the cakes used at
this festival are minted or made of new com, and that it is the
feast of the first mingling of flour of the new reaped wheat. I
am, liowever, strongly inclined to think, that we may safely
refer to Teut. mael, convivium refectio, pastus. Various other
etymolo^es have been conjectured, which are noticed inr
Brand's Pop. Ant. Vol. I., Chap. Harvest-Home; where the
reader will find much interesting matter on this subject.

Meu^doors, the space between the heck and outward door, the
entry or ^passage—middle [of] doors. Fr. miUeu, Mell is an
old word for between, not yet altogether disused.

Mbll-drop, the least ofl^sive species of mucus firom the nose.
•* MelMrop Tommy"— a familiar cognomen.

Mend^ recompense, atonement, satis&ction— am^nd!;.

If she be fiur, 'tis the better fi>r her; an she be not, she
has the mends In her own hand.— .SAoXr. TroUus and Cresrida.

Mennam, the minnow. Nearly resembling Gael, meanaru
Mensb, V, to grace, to ornament, to decorate. ^ The pictures

mense the room," a compliment paid by a Northern artist to

my unpretendmg collection.
Mbnsb, s, decency, propriety of conduct, good manners, kindness,

hospitality. It also means an ornament, or credit; as he is

^ a mense to his fiunily." Sax. mennesc, humanus. Su.-Got.

mdnnisklig* Swed. menskUg, See Tajlor's-uensb.
Menseful, decent, graceful, mannerly, hospitable, creditable.
Menseless, indecorous, graceless, inhospitable, unmanneriy.
Mense, or Menseful-pennt, liberality conducted by pmdence.

Would have their mensefld-pemip spent

With gossips at a merriment.— TV CoUkr^s Wedding.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

M£T£ ie03

Mere, a lake, a marsh, a large pool. Pure Baxon.
Merry-bbootten, illegitimate— in law, filius milHus-i— mther
waggishly alluded to by old Bninne.

Enonte of his body gate sonnes thre,
Tuo bi tuo Wifes, the thrid injaiifte.

ham^fffCt ChrofAde,

The hifltolical reader is aware that bastardism, espedslly if the
father were royal or noble, was in the middle ages no disgrace ;
and that very latitudinarian prindples were disseminated con-
cerning a species of gallantry, which, as we learn from Evelyn,
an indulgent churchman — the Cardinal de Richelieu-— was in
the habit of calling " the honest man's recreation."

Merbt-dancers, the glandngs of the Aurora Borealis, These
Northern lights, when first seen, were called burning spears,
and which to pensons of a vivid imagination still seem to repre-
sent the clashing of arms in a military engagement. The first
instance of thdr appearance mentioned by Dr. Halley, is that
which occurred in the year 1560.

MiPEtRT-NiOBT, a rustic ball — a night (generally about Christmas)
apinropriated to mirth and festivity. These homely pastimes,
besides the eating and drinking, con^st of dancing, in all the
lower modes of the art; of masked interludes; and occasion-
ally of the ancient sword dance; with an indispensable ad«
mixture of kissing and romping, and other " gallantry robust.'*
V. Willan.

Messit, a littie dog, a sort of cur. Y. Jamieson, messan.

Met, v. to measure. Teut, meterif metiri. Swed. mdta. — Met,
8, a measure, either of length or capacity. Sax. ntUta,

Meterly, tolerably well— moderately — ^within bounds ; t. e, in
mete, or measure. In the older Northern glossaries, as Mr.
Todd remarks, the word is defined indifferent.

Metter, a person legally authorised to measure.^^Newc»

MEirrBT, ** a difficult respiration, by the lightness of the air."
Hutchinson's Hist, of Cumberland.

MiCKLE, much, great. Dur. and North. Sax. micel, wkk. Isl.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

^4 METT

nukSl. 'foit mkeL Tbe word is used by Sfaakspeare, in
Rcmieo and Juliet; and by Dreyloii^ in lus exqiuaitely beau-
tiful poem of the Nymphid&i.

Homely hearts do harbour quiet ;

little fear, and micftfe solace;
States suspect their bed and diet;

Fear and craft do haunt the paUiee.

Old Damam*s POHoraL

Midden, Muck-middbn, a dung^. Sax. ntidSng, sterquili-

niunu— Mtodbn-stead, a phice for laying dung.
Midden, a contemptuous term for a female— conjohiing the ideas

of insipidity, inactivity, and dirt.
MiDDBN-CBOW, the carrion crow. Conmt corone. Linn.
Middens, or Black-middens, dangerous rocks on the north side

of the entrance into Shields harbour.
MiDOB, a small gnat. Sax. mcge. It is also a contumelious

term towards a mischievous boy, apparently expressive of

smaUness of size.— Midoe's-ee, any thing diminutive; a very

common comparison.
MiDUN, Middling, toleraUy well, indifferent, passable.
MTrmm, a COW that ^ves mUk; not the person who milks the

cow. ** She's a fop Jittfttfr.'*
MiLKUS, MiLKNESS, a dairy, or mUk-house, Sax. melce^us,
MiNCB, to mince* Isl. tfunka, diminuere. — Minch-pie, a mince

pie.
Mind, to remember, to be steady and attentive. Dan. fmnde, to

mind, to recollect.
MiNGE, to mention, to remind. Sax. nu/n^an.

Could never man work thee a worser shame
Than once to n^nge thy Other's odious name.

HaWf SaHret.

MiNNY, a fondling term for mother. Teut. mnne, nutrix.
Mint, to aim at, to show a mind to do something, to endeavour,

to make a feigned attempt. Sax. ge-7iiy}M?Mi», intendere. Swed.

mena, to mean.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

MITT 905

MiRB-DRUiiy the ffittem or Bog>bumper; frequent in our alpine
mosses. Ardea Steilarit. Linneeus. There is a beautiful
figure of this stately bird in Bewick.

It is called the MirC'Dnm, finmi its singular loud note,
especially in the spring, which is then its congratulatory
ovation to its mate on the arrival of it, when there is a kind
of resuscitation of beauty throughout all nature, and uni«
versal gladness^fTaOif* HM. of North. VoL /. p. 324.

MiBK, MiBKT, dark, obscure. Sax. msrce. IsL mi^r^ tene»
brosus. Swed. mdrk^ dark. Old £ng. nUrke.

Crane is the day, and fmrk*9 the night.

But we*ll ne*er stay for &ute o* lighU— Bitnif.

Miscall, to abuse, to call names to. Sc. mtfca*.
MisFORTUNii^ a palliative term for an act of indiscretion ; especi-
ally a breach of chastity. V. Jam. Supp.
MisHANTER, disaster, misfortune, mischance— twt<«fogit<iirg» Old

Fr. tnesavetUure, Y. Roquefort.
Mis-ken, to be ignorant of, not to know, to misunderstand*
MisupFBN, to suspect, to neglect, to disappoint.
MissBNS, s. any thing missing — such as a Paul Pry would eaoly

discover. *^ Here's a missem here" — sud of a room from

which furniture has been removed.
MisTETCH, an ill habit, property or custom; perhaps from

misteach. Chaucer uses fetch, for a spot or blemish. Fr.

tache.
MisTETCHED, spoHcd — said of a horse that has learnt vidous

tricks.
MiTTAN, a glove without divisions for the fingers ; generally made

of thick leather, or coarse yam. Fr. mUaine* Y . Du Cange,

mitena*

He that his hand wol put in his nutaitie
He shal have multiplying of his graine.

Chaucer f Pardoneres Tak.

Mitts, worsted gloves with a thumb and no fingers. Y. Moor.
MixTV-KAXTY, MizY-MAxr> any thing confusedly mixed, an

Digitized by VjOOQIC

906 MITT

iiregobr inedky-«« smiA-moift, or hotcfa-f)otch. Sa.-GoC

liizzLB, V* to rain in very gniall dropi. Teut M<f leJbk— MizzL^
«.aiiallraui,

MomEB, to puzzle, to perplex^ It is, I suppose, an old word;
but if one was to imitate some of our etymologists, it might
be brou||it from the Spanish name of the seven^«nd-twenty
shilling pieces, ¥^ch would, I dare say, very much tnoider poor
John Bull in his reckonings.

MoiDEBBD, puzzled, bewildered, confused, &tracted.

MoLTEB, Mooter, Mouter, a portion of meal abstracted by the
miller as a compensation for grinding ; the toll, as it were, of
the mill. Law Lat. molitura, multura, Fr. mouture. It is
also used as a verb.

It is good to be merry and wise.

Quoth the miller, when he mouter^d twice.-«-iS'«. Prcbverb.

MoMB, soft, smooth, conjoining die idea of sweetness. Hence,
the liquor mttm^-ale brewed with wheat. Mumme is a Ger-
man name for beer* ^ Brunswick mumJ*

MoNNT,many. Sax.monig* Swed, mSnge, Sc mofiy, mofmie.
— MoNNY-A-TiH&AND-OFr, a colloquial expression for fre-
quently.

Moo, V, to low as a cow. — ^Moo, #. the act of lowing. Germ.
muy vox vaccae naturalis. Wachter.

MooN-UGHT, MooKf-SHiNE, MouNTAiN-EiEW, Smuggled whiskey.
Thanks to the excise— a refinement unknown in the financial
system of our ancient government — ^for the introduction of
these neologisms.

Moor, a heatii — a common, or wasto land. Sax. mory ericetum.
Isl. mor, terra arida, inculta, et inutilis, Sc. mure, mmr. Br.
Jamieson erroneously supposes that our word always implies
the idea of water or marshiness, as denoting a fen. V. Co.
litt. 5 a.

Moorland, common or waste ground — a hilly, barren district.

BkooT-HAix, the ancient hall of the castle of New€astle«-*the

Digitized by VjOOQIC

MOSS S07

place of lioldiiig the assizes for the county of Northumberland,
Brand has a needless difficulty about the eQrmology, which is
indubitably Sax. moih^iealf oonventus aula, the hall of deli-
beration or judgment. V. Dugdale, Origines Juridiciales^
Edit. 1680, p. 212. The foUc^mote was ori^nally a conven-
tion of all the inhabitants ; which, if within a town, was called
a Burgh-mote, but if of all the free tenants within % county—
the Shire-mote. In the latter assembly the sheriff was annu-
ally chosen, until the dection of that officer devolved to the
king's nomination; after which the town fcXk^mote was swal-
lowed up in the common council, as that of the county was in
the Sheriff's Turn and Assizes.

Mop, "to make wry mouths or grin in contempt." Todd's
Johnson. In the North it means to prim or look affectedly.
Hence, Moppet, a child so acting. The latter is also a term
of endearment ; £rom moppe, an old word in that sense.

Moral, model. '' The moral of a man." An archaism.

More, a hill — a mountainous or waste country ; whence West-
morland. Sax. mor, mons. See Moor.

Morn, morrow. — The morn, to-morrow. Sax. morghen, morgen.
The origmal meaning of morrow, as stated in Todd's Johnson,
seems to haive been morning, which being often referred to on
the preceding day, was understood in time to signify the whole
day next following.

Mortal, very, exceeding, excessive, abounding. Perhaps from
Isl. morgt^ a great quantity. — Mortal-while, a long time.

So is all nature in love, mortal in folly.

Shdk. At You Like It,

Mortar, soil beaten up with water, used in buildmg ordinary

walls, in contradistinction to the mortar mentioned in Todd's

Johnson,
Moss, a boggy place — a morass. Su.-Got. mossa.
Moss-troopers, banditti, who inhabited the marshy borders of

the two kingdoms, and subnsted chiefly by theft and rapine.

So called frpm living in mos9es, or morasses, and riding in

Digitized by VjOOQIC

208 MOST

troopt together. The Merdiant Adventurers of Newcastle^ by
an ancient order of thdr sodety, were prohibited from taking
apprentices '' proceeding from such lewde and wicked proge-
nitors." Indeed, the restriction extended to any person bom
in '^Tyndale, Tiddesdale, or such like place;" the parties
there^ brought up, as the regulation expresses it, ''being
known cither by education or nature not to be of honest con-
versation." In a list of Border thieves in 1552, the priest
and curate of Bewcastle are both included! Well might
Bishop Fox, to whom was committed the whole management
of the Scottish Border, fulminate his resentment against those
vagrant and dissolute churchmen, who wandered with diese
lawless hordes from place to place, amidst the wilds of Nor-
thumberland—partaking in thdr plunder, and mingling reliques
of barbarism with the rites and sacraments of the Christian
Church. See the singularly characteristic portrait which the
prelate has drawn of a border priest, in Surtees' ICstory of
Dur. Vol. I. p..l6a

Most. It is not unusual to prefix this superlative degree to the
regular superlative form of another word — as, moit highest,
moit wickedetty most wiiett, mott pleatantest, &c There are
examples for it in Shakspeare and his cotonporaries. It was
not then esteemed bad grammar.

MouDT-RAT, MouDY-WARP, MouLEV-RAT, pToviudal uames for a
mole. Sax. mold, mould, and weorpan, to cast up. Dan.
mulvarp, a mole. Spenser and other old writers use mould-
warp. Shakspeare — in allusion to the prophecy which is said
to have induced Owen Glendower to rebel against King
Henry— causes Hotspur, when taxed by Mortimer with cross-
ing his fitther, thus to exclaim —

I cannot choose : sometimes he angers me
With telling me of the moldwarp and the ant, &c.

Firri Part qfKing Henry IV.

MouDY-HiLL, MouLEY-RAT-HiLL, the mould throwu up by. the
mole. The nest of the '' little gentleman in velvet" is of a

Digitized by VjOOQIC

MUCK 909

curious construction^ and is ftdly and accuratdy described by

MoiTNGB, to grumble lowly, to whme. *^ What are ye mounging

. about?'*

Mount, a large stone hewn into the shape of steps— placed at the
door of a public-house, to assist persons in mounUng their
horses. Fr. motUoir. In Scotland it is called a kmptng'On'
stane. The Romans had stones for this purpose on the sides
of didr roads.

Moipr, to moult. Teut mutften, Mowten is found in Prompt.
Parv. with the definition oipluimeo.

Mow, to converse unlawfully. I belieye an oid word. See the
andent ballad of ^ Bonny Dundee, or Jockey's Deliverance.'*

Mow, a distorted mouth. Fr. mofi^, a mouth, a wry &ce.

Mow, a stack. ^ The barley mowJ^ Sax. moive, acervus.

Mown, moon. There are many alternations of pronunciation of
this sort, in die neighbourhood of Newcastie; as toon mowr,
for town-moor ; shout a fool, for shoot a fowl, &c.

Muck, v, to clear of dung. Swed. mocha, to dung^-ntoc^a «fo^
let, to throw the dung out of a stable. M^degren. — Mucking^
#. the clearing away of dung— the cleansing. Swed. mochning.
^ The muchmg of Geordie's byre," the name of a Jacobite
song.

Muck, *. dirt, dung for manure. Sax. meox, fimus. — Muck-
midden, a heap of manure, a dunghill.— Mucky, dirty, filthy.
Much, however ofiensive to those whose affected gentility re-
coils at every vulgar phrase, is supported by the authority of
several of our best and most accomplished writers.

Muck-worm, ** a miser, a curmudgeon." Todd's Johnson. In
the North it also means, an upstart.

MucKiNGER, a pocket-handkerchief; seemingly mentioned by
Amobius, under the word mttcciniunu Fr. mouchoir, Ben
Jonson uses muchinder,

MucKLE, MucKEL, much, laige, great. — North.

He had in arms abroad won muckel &me.

Spenser, Faerie Qucene*
E e

Digitized by VjOOQIC

210 MUD

Mud, a tiQfdl spike or ntdl used by cobbkns.

Muddle, to mix confusedly. — Muddled, inebriated — not abso-
lutely drunk, nor entirely sober.

MuFPETTEE, a worsted covering, or gmaU muff for the wrist.
The Scotch have a kind of glove worn by old men, called a
nu^ffUie, from which the term may have been borrowed.

Mug, a low word for the mouth. A general vulgarism.

|tf U6, a pot, an earthen bowl. — Mug-wife, a female dealer in
earthen ware, " Mugt and doublers, wives V*^^Newc, Cry,

^UGQ^B, a hawker of pots, an itinerant vender of earthen ware.
This trade is carried on to a great extent among the gipsy
tribes in the Northern counties.

Muggy, the white-throat. MotacUla Syluu Linnseus.

Mull, dirt, rubbish, crumbs., Su.f Got. and Swed. muUf mouldy
earth. Chaucer uses mvUok, The fragments and dust of a
stack of peats, are called peat^u/// and oaten bread broken

, into crubs, is called mulled bread.

Mulligrubs, bad temper, ill humour, fancied ailment-^-eny inde-
scribable complaint. - ...

"Whither go all these men-menders, these physicians ?
Whose dog lies sick o* th* mul^gnibi 9

' Beaum. and Fkt. MonAewr T%omat,

Mummer, a person disguised under a mask, a sort cf morris
dancer; so called from Dan. mummer or Dut. momme^ mum.
The grand scene of the antic diversion of mumming was the
C/hristmas holidays, when the masqueraders vied with each
other in the magnificence, or rather the oddity of their dresses.
See more on this subject in Brand's Pop. Andq. Vol. I., p.
354.

Wlio lists may in their fMimmng see

Traces of ancient mystery ;

White shirts supplied the masquerade.

And smutted cheeks the visors made ;

But, O ! what masquers, richly dight.

Can boast of bosoms half so light.

ScotVt MarfnUm.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

MUZZ m

Mump, to sli^ — ^to beat about the mouth. A very low word.
The disease called the inumpty cognate.

MuN, inan — an expletive much used by the vulgar.

MUNy MuNS, the mouth. Swed. mutu Oerin. mmd,

MuN, must. ^ I 9»tm gan." Isl. in«n* Moun occurs in '^c-
lifs New Testament, and also in Chaucer.-=-MimNOTy must
not. ^ Thou munnoi come."

MuNOHy something to eat*— a lunch. Y* Todd's John, mounck.

MDKDBBiNG-prB, the great ash^ooloured shrike, or butcher-bird.
Lanivs excuhUor, Linnaeus. This bird has a murdering pro-
pensity } sdzing upon other birds, as well as the smaller class
of animals, and (as I am informed) strangling many of its tittle
victims before it tastes one of them. We learn from Mr.
Selby, an ornithologist of great experience, that after having
lulled its prey, it transfixes it upon a thorn, and then tears it
in pieces with its bill. That attentive observer of the habits
and economy of the feathered race, says he had the gratifica-
tion of witnessing this operation of the shrike upon a hedge
accentor, which it had just killed. V; Illustrations of British
Omitholo^, p. 141.

IfeiiL^ to iall in pieces, to waste, to crumble. Welsh, mwrli
crumbling. I>ut. muUe% to crumble. — Murlings, crumbs.

MuRTH, abundance; as a mturth of com; a murth of cold. It
seems identical with mort^ a great quantity; which Dr. John-
son derives firom Isl. morgU

Mush, the dusty or dusty refuse of any dry substance, any thing
decayed or soft. Germ, musy a hashed mixture.

McTTON, an old term for a courtezan ; still in use. In the Two
Grentlemen of Verona (Act I. Sc. 1.), there is some low quib-

' bling between the meaning of ktced mtUton and hst mutton.
The expression " eat mutton on Friday," in Measure for Mea-
sure (Act IIL Sq. 2,), has obviously a double allusion — both

.. to breaking the fast and to incontinence. V. Nares' Gloss.

Muzzy, half stupified, bewildered by a fatal attachment to the
hottXc'^fatigued unth liquor, as a ** wet/riend^^ once expressed
it.

/ Digitized by VjOOQIC

«l)i MY-EY

Mr-EYBy a vulgv inteijectioiial expnaaon of exultadon or
amazement; commonly associated with Betty Martim — my
eye and Betty Martin; which Bowles, in one of his late
pamphlets on the Pope controversy, says is from the b^^nning
of an old popular hymn, ^^ Mihi Beate MartmeP

Mysell, myself. An universal corruption among the vulgar.

N.

Na, no.---NAT, not. Both pure Saxon. Chaucer has g^ven his
Northern Clerks a northern dialect. V. Tyrwhitt's note pn
verse 4021.

Nab, Nabb, a protuberance, an elevated point, the rocky sum-
mit and outermost veige of a hill. Identical with Knapp;
which see. A steep and high precipice at the confluence of
the Baulder and the Tees, in the county of Durham, is called
the Ncibh. There is also Nab*hill, in the same county.

Nag, to gnaw at any thing hard. Dan. nage.

Najggy, irritable, contentious, disposed to quarreL V. Todd's
John.

Naig, a little hack^horse — a nag. Dut. negge.

Naky-bed, Naked-bed, %n purit fto^uro/iftfff-— stark-naked.
Nares observes, that down to a certain period, those who
were in bed were literally naked, no night linen being worn ;
and the curious in old Fabliaux and Romances are aware that
in the miniatures which adorn many of the MS. copies, the
persons who are represented as in bed, are alwi^s naked.
Many of the Scotch — thrifty souls — and some of the border-
ing English, still continue the custom.

Nan, what? what do you say? — Dur, See Anan.

Nanny, a designation commonly given to a female of free life
and conversation. — Nanny-house, a house of ill-feme.

Nanterscasb, the same as Anters ; which see.

Napkin, a pocket handkerchief. Borders of North, This word

Digitized by VjOOQiC

- NAY-S aw

is often used by Shakspeare, and t>y other old writers. Bar-
retf in his Alvearie, has napkin, or handkerchief, wherewith to
wipe away the sweat, tudarium; distinguished from a table
napkin, mantUe. Dr. Johnson makes the derivation from
nap; oddly favoured, as he says, by Virgil, ** Tontuque ferwnt
mantUia vUlis/* adding Ital. naperta; but I have not met
with such a word in any dictionary. Nappes in French, is a
table doth, and naiprie is, in Scotland, linen for the table.
Napkin, therefore, is the same word, with the usual Northern
diminutive kin; originally, perhaps, from Germ, kind, a child.
The transitions of meaning cannot be better shown than in
this word pocket handkerchief, originally coarse cheif head
cover. Chaucer uses it coverchief. The same kind of nap-
kin, being borne in the hand, became handkerchief; that ap-
plied to the neck, neckhandkerchief ; and when worn in the
pocket, pocket handkerchief— losing all reference to the head
and to the act of covering.

Napfern, an apron. This pronunciation is conformable to the
eld orthography. Fr. noperon, a large clotii.

Nabrate, to relate, to tell. Lat, narrare. Not confined to
Scotiand, as stated by Dr. Johnson.

Nash, or Naish, tender, weak, fragile, soft. Sax. nescw

Nasty, ill-natured, impatient, saucy; as well as filthy.

Nation, very, exceedingly. Equivalent to the Scotch prodigioiu,
and to our own bon ton word monstrous. It is an abbreviation
of nation.

Natter, to scold, to speak in a querulous or peevish manner.

Nattle, or EInattle, to hit one hard substance against another
gentiy and quick, to make a noise like that of a mouse gnaw-
ing a board.— Nattling-stones, polishing stones.

Nattrt, iU-natured, petulant. '* A nattty &ce." Germ, natter,
an adder; as we say waspish.

Natty, neat, tidy, particular, accurate. Gothic, natid.

Naup, to beat, to strike. Isl. ^n^a. SccNevel.

Nat-say, a refiisal, a denial. Holinshed uses nay, i^. to refuse.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

iU NAY-T

NAY^HBfr ! Hn exdamatioto inOplying great doiibt, or wonder.

Nb, no, not. Goth, and Sax. ne. Nbbody, nobody.

Neagbr, Nbaobs, a term of reproach, equivalent to a base

wretch ; though often confined to a mean^ nig^dly person.

Probably firom Fr. negre^ a iicipx>.
Neb, a point, a beak— idso the nose, the mouth. Sax. nebbe,

tottnm, nasus. IsL nebU, nef, Dan. nab.

How she holds up the ndt, the bill to him I

Shak. Winier^s Tale.

Give her a bum pit how she coda her fie&.— iVhvc.

Keck-about, a woman^s neck-handkerchief— a neckaiee.

Keck-verss^ a cant term formerly used by marauders on the
borders — adopted fi*om the tferge read by a criminal claiming
the benefit of clergy, so as to save his neck,

Ked-cakb, or Knekd-cake, a rich cake baked on a girdle.

Neddy, Nbttt, a certain place that will not bear a written ex-
planation; but which is depicted to the very life in a tail-piece
in the first edition of Bewick's Land Birds, p. 985. In the
second edition a bar is placed ^kgainst the ofiencfing part of
this broad display of native humour. Etymon needy, a place
of need or necessity.

Need-fire, an ignition produced by the friction of two pieces of
dried wood. The vulgar opinion is that an AngeJ strikes a
tree, and that the fire is thereby obtained. Need-fire, I am
told, is sdll employed in the case of cattle infected with the
murrain. They were formerly driven through the smoke o£ a
fire made of straw, &c. It was then thought wicked to neg-
lect smoking them. Sax. nyd, force, and^r, fire; that is,
forcedfire.

Needlbr, a keen, active, thrifty person-^a niggard.

Nebr-dee-weel, Ne'er-do-weel, a graceless person^K>ne who
seems never to do well.

That poor silly Jeezabel, our Queen Mary, married that

Digitized by VjOOQIC

NETT «15

lang-legged ne*er'dO''>weei, Darnley, in the month of May, an4
.ever sin syne the Scots folks have regarded it as no canny.

Reginald DaltoH.

The superstitioq. against marrying in May is, however, of far

greater antiquity than the time here assigned to it. V. Jam.

Supp. buckle,
Neese, Neeze, to sneese. Sax. neisan, Grerm. mesen.
Neest, Niest, Nest, next. Sax. nekst.
Nest, the Northern word for night. ^ Good neety hinny**
Neif, the fist. Isi. knefi^ Su.-Got. hnosfve^ Dan. neeve. Swed.

nSkfve, A good old Shakspearian word. Archdeacon Nares'

display of authorities was unnecessary ; the word being still in

general use in all the Northern counties.^-DouBLB-NEiF^ the

clenched fist.
Neif-full, a handful. Swed. en n^fvefuU,
NelsonVbullets, small confections in the shape of &d&. In

commemoration of our naval hero. See Gibraltar^rock.
Nenst^ Nents« towards, against, ^ The cash was paid nemt his

year's rent,"'
Nerled, ill-treated, pinched : often applied to a person under the

unnatural conduct of a step-mother. Germ, knurrenj to snarl ;

or ^norren, a knot in wood— cr(w#-gra»n«i
Nestling, the smallest bird in the nest, the weakest of the brood.

Sax. nettling. Something like the Dowpy.
Nether, lower. Sax, neother. — Nether-up, the under lip.

That thou art my son, I have partly thy mother's word,
pairtly my own opinion; but chiefly a villainous trick of thine
eye, and a foolish hanging of the neiher %, that doth warrant
ine. — Shak. FWtt Part cf Henry IV,

NetheRpSTOCKS, stockings, or under stocks. The term is used
by Shakspeare in King Lear, and also in Henry IV.

Nettled, provoked, irritated— as if stung by a nettle. To water
a nettle, in a peculiar way, has been said proverbially to cause
peevish and fretful humour. See the proverb, in homely

. English, in Howell.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

^16 NfiUC

Nbcck, l^uiK, a comer, Or nook. Gael. m«r. Sc n^uAr.
Nbvel, to beat violentl j ^th the fists, or ncive$. See Nrap.

8he*l nawpe and nevel them without a cause,

Shel macke them late their teeth naunt in their hawse.

Vorksfure Dialqgue, p, 68.

Kbwcal-cow, Newcald-cow, a cow newly calved.

Newcastle HosprrAUir, roasting your friend to death.

Ifi ! Ni I a common exclamation in Newcastle. It seems a di-
mimitiTe of hiee, tuce; as spoken by children. *^,Ni/ Ni/
ydmt bonny buttons !"

Nice, good, pleasant, agreeable, handsome. '* A nice man'*— >'' a
very mce woman." — Nicely, very well, in good health.

Nick, v, to delude by stratagem, to deceive. — NicK,-«. a wink.
Germ, nidken, to wink — ^to tip the wink.

NiCK-sncK, a tally, or notched stick, by which accounts are kept
after the ancient method. This simple mode of reckoning
seems to have been the only one known to the Northern
nations. Olaus Wormius gives us a representation of the tal-
lies used by the ancient Danes, of which each party kept one*
School'boys keep a nick'^Hck^ with notches correspondent to
the number of days preceding the vacation, from which with
delight they cut daily one nick, up te the " very nick of time'*
for dulce domum. When a married female, in a certain inte-
resting situation, exceeds her calculation, she is said, among the
vulgar, to have lost her nick<tich.

Nicker, to neigh, to laugh in a loud ridiculous manner. Sax.
gncBgan, Sc. neicher, ** What are you nidcering at ?"

Nicker and Sneer, a loud vulgar laugh — apparently borrowed
from the ndghing and snorting of a horse.

NiDDERED, starved with cold, hungered. V. Jamieson.

NiFF-NAFFs, trifles, things of little value. Germ. fochtSf nothing,
and nachit, next— next to nothing. Hence mck'-nacks, trifles.

NiPFY-NAFFY, a term for an insignificant or conceited person-
one whose attention is chiefly devoted to trifles.

NiFFLB, to steal, to plunder. Perhaps by a metathesis from rifie.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

NODO ftn

More probably> a late ingenious fiiend thou(shty firom neif, to

lay hands on. Shakspeare makes a verb of/^^ to seize.
N1OH9 to approach, to touch. Sax. nehumn, appropinquare.—

NioH-HAND, hard by. — ^Nighest-about^ the nearest way.
KiGHT-couRTSHiP, a rUstic mode of wooing; fully described ia

Anderson's Remarks on the Manners and Customs of the

Cumberknd Peasantry. It is common^ also, am<mg the lower

classes in Northumberknd.
NiMy to walk with short quick steps. Also to take up hastily,

to steal priyately. In the latter sense the word may be deriv*

ed from Sax. stmauy to take. Germ. ndkmeiL
NiNB-TRADBs, nine trading companies in Newcastle-^three of

wood— three of thread— -and three of leather. ^Themeetmg

of the tiifw trade*:* V. Letters of Tun. Tunbelly, p. 67*
NIP43HBBSB, a contemptuous designation for a parsimonious,

coretous per8oa.-*NiFk«CRBBD is identical
Nip-up, to wipe up, to move quickly, to pilfer. Swed. hupa, to

pinch, to squeeze.
Nipping, pinchiiig; such as is produced by frost or cdkL

It is a nippUig and an eager tai,^»-Shak. HanUet*

NiTHiNG, much valuing, sparing of; as, nitkkig of his pains.

Ray. Plrobably from G«in. neiden^ to grudge.
Nnui, NiTTLB, handy, neat, handsonie. Sax. nytiic, utilis.
NiwER, the common pronunciation of never. ^ To-morrow

come mvDvr— when two Sundays meet together."
Nob, the head. Used ludicroudy. It is the same word as

knob, any round protuberance. An officer, whose duty it is to

coerce unruly children in church during the time of divine

service, is, in some places, called the knofJenohber ; tiiat is, the

man who strikes the head.
NoflBOT, only*^ compound of but and the negation not,. ^ Nob-

hui let me go.'* See Tooke's definition of 5irf, Vol. L, p. 202

&seq.
NovDLB, a burlesque name for the nose-^also the head.
No»GS| or NvDCE, to push^ to jog. Teut. knudsen, to knock.

Ff

Digitized by VjOOQIC

218 NaPA

No-PAKy near— no/yhrJ A common North country phrase*

KooDi^ a fool Sax. tnh dol, nearly stupid. The term is often
used in Newcastle— sometimes ungallandy. V. Mackenzie*a
I£st. of Newc. p. 84.

NobiiED, checked, cuibed, broken spirited. Properly nulled, for
annulled or nullified. Lat. nuUus.

NoRy for than. This transposition — so common among the vul-'
gar — ^18 occasionally used by people in Newcastle, in a sphere
beyond the ** mere ignoble." Gael. na.

NoBATioN, narrative, speech — oratioru ** But aw whupt maw
foot on his noratitm.^* — Song, Canny NewcaueL

NoRRiD, northward. ** Several Greenlandmen passed norrid,**

NosE-ON-THB-oitiNDSTONB, a dmUe for the fiite of an improvident
person. See an illustration in Bewick's ^sop, p. 128. Mr.
Hunter informs me, that in Hallamshire nose to the grindstone
is differently used; being said of those who are deeply hum-
bled by an adversary.

NosB-wisB, pryingly acute. Germ, nase-doeit, self-witted, pre-
sumptuous, inquisitive. Dan. nasvUi, impertinent, insolent.
Swed. nhvis^ saucy, pert.

Note, to push or strike — to gore with the horns, as a buU or
ram. Isl. hniota, ferire. Sax. hnitan, V. Somner.

NoTTAinr, a meagre person — a skeleton. Shakspeare's hostess,
among many other strange words, uses atomy, in the former
sense.

Nous, NousE, judgment, understanding, sense. Gr. nvt,

NouT, or NoLT, neat, or homed cattle of the ox species. IsL
naut, bos. Old Eng. nowt. The mUt market, the ancient
name of a street in Newcastie — the cattie market.— Nout-febt,
cow heel. — Noutherd, a neatherd.

NouT-GELD, Neat-oeld, comagc rent, originally paid in cattie—
a horn tax. Comage seems to have been peculiar to the bor-
der service against the Scots. The tenants holding under it
were bound to be ready to serve thdr prince and the lord of the
manor, on horseback or on foot, at their own' costs and
charges; and, being best acquamted with the passes and

Digitized by VjOOQIC

N'YEM 219

defiles of the country, had the honour of marching in the van-
guard, when the king's army passed into Scotland. This
spedes of comage is difierent from that mentioned in Little-
ton's Tenures, chap. Grand Serfeantty, Sir Edward Coke,
it would seem, too, misunderstood its nature. V. Nicolson
and Bum's Hist, of West, and Cumb. Vol. I., p. 16 & seq.

NouTH, the north. — Nouthbrly, northerly. ** Past two o'clock,
and a frosty momm — wind's noutherly*^

NouTHEB, NowTHER, neither. Sax. noutherf noufther^ neque.

NowsE, nothing. Sax. nakt, nihil. Germ, nichts.

As to that pedant, Mr. Hall,

By Jove— 1*11 give him mmte at all.

Not, to vex, to trouble— to armoy. Not now in use. Dr. John-
son says. As a Northern word it is quite common.

NuKNTY, NiJNTY, mean, shabby, scrimp, scant}'.

NuT-CRACK-NiGHT, All Hallows Evc. This was formerly a
nig^t of much rejoicing, and of the most mysterious rites and
ceremonies. It is stfll customary to crack nuts in large quan-
tities. They are also thrown in pairs into the fire, as a love
divination, by young people in Northumberland, anxious to
obtain an insight into then* future lot in the connubial state.
If the nuts lie still and bum together, it is smd to prognosti-
cate a happy marriage, or at least a hopefiil love; if, on the
contrary, they bounce and fly asunder, the sign is considered
unpropitious to matrimony. Burning the nuts is also a
fionous charm in Scotland. See Bums' poem of Halloween,
and the curious notes explanatory of the charms and spells of
this evening, which were in a great degree common to both
countries, and yet form a portion of the popular creed m the
North of England.

NunnjG, a nutmeg. Our old word was notemttge,

N'tem, name. " Aw diwent ken his »'5fem."— Broad Newc,

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29^

O.

O. Thb letter is oftmiued for iiy in <Hir NoiiJienipF^^
tioD ; as mon, for maa; hond^ for hand; hw, for kw, &c.

Oaf, a fool» a blockhead, an Idiot. V . Todd's John, and Wilb.

Obstrofolots, vodferousy tnifaulcnt e b t trepermu. This word

occurs in Benwell Village, a local burlesque poem, of some

rarity.

Cease such obrirop^kut roar.

Oddiients, scraps, things of little value, odd trifles.

Odds-bobs, a vulgar exclamation of surprise, originating in the
avoiding of an oath.

Odds-fish ! an interjection — a moderated diminutive of « worse
term. Our renowned Maiden Queen, whose oaths were
neither diminutive nor rare, used plainer language.

She grew ynto a grate rage, begynnynge with Godi Wonds^
that she wolde set you by the feete, i^id send another yn your
place, if you dalyed with her thus.

Letter from Sir Robert Carey to Lord Huntdon.

Ch>06-HEFi» a common palliative adjuration.

Odd-whitb-tb, an equivocal malediction very frequent in the
North. It may be remarked, as a traU of manners, that the
common people are much in the habit of umug tempered oaths
or asseverations as substitutes for others of a more gross sort.

Offens, Oftens, the plural of q/)feft--a very common proviaeial
peculiarity. There is, throughout the North, a simflar pecu-
liarity in the use of the word obfeoHony which, for all ordinary
purposes, good usage confines to the singular, while the com-
mon people on every occasion say, they have ** no obfedknu**
— Oftish, Oftenish, very often.

OhfOF-hazel, a sound drubbing. A piece of waggery is aomep
times practised by mischievous urchins in Newcastie, on raw
inexperienced lads from the country— in sending tiiem to a

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• cfattiiitt's shop for a ^pen*orik qf oU-i^-hazeL" An earnest
applicitkm of a food thkk haoel stick is often tb^ result.
Sliding for pigeon* t milk is a similar joke of old standing,

Ou)^ great, pre-eminent— such as was practised in the *' oiden
Ume** — Ou>-DOiNG6» great sport, extra feasting-««n uncom-
mon disf^y of hospitality, as in days of yore,

Qlihbbndt, one of the mfflsy ludicrous names g^ven to the Dei^

. •^-posaiUy from his supposed circuitous mode of proceeding.
Another of his popular names is Au'o-hoobt— of application
equally <d]dous. Ouj^uaslby, and Olb-scbatch, are also
designations appropriated to the ardi-fiend by the vulgar in
die Nordu But die most common of all the synonymes that

' have been coined for this great adversary of mankind is Auu)-
NiGK. The Danes and Germans, according to the Northern
mythology of dder times, worshipped Nocka or Nicken, a
deity of the waters, rc|N^ented as of a hideous shape, and of
diabolical principles ;. from which, no doubt, the term auld»
nick has been derived.

OuvFBB,. or more frequoady, Au'psPBG^ or Aulo-fso^ an infe-
rior sort of cheese, made of skimmed milk. It is also called,
not inapdy, lea^r hungry. In Suffolk it is bang i which popr
Bloomfield dfiscribed as

Too large to swallow and too hard to bite.

Farmer* t Boy*

X)li>4Hoe. The ancient custom of throwing an M shoe after a
person for luck, is not yet disused in the North. In the case
of marriages, it is often practised ; even among some of ihg
great. See on this subject. Brand's Pop. Antiq. Vol. IL p.
490; and Nares' Gloss. ** As easy as an o^ shoe,** Nor-
thern Aphorism*

Ohy, mellow; generally spoken of land. V. Jam. oam.

Ongoings, conduct, doings, merriment— goin^f on.

ONNY,*any.-^ONNY-BiT-LiKE, tolerable, decent, Kkely.— Owny-
wAY-FaB»A<4J!rTLB-APPUE, easUy persuaded— probably from the
credufity of modier Eve.

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tm OK8E

Onsbt, a dwellingJiouse and oat-buildings. Sax. muMUutig, ha-

• bhatio: unde oiur^ apud Noithymbros, teste Nkhobono^ man-
lum, tofhun, tugurium, significans. Lye.

QNSETTBif, dwarfish, curbed in growth— applied as a term of de^*
rision. Teat. ofO-^eUen, male disponere.

Onstbad, the buildings on a farm — a station or stay near the

' house for cattle or stacks. Sax. <m, and sted, locus.

Go, often pronounced vi; m book — buik; lock^^uik; &c.
Dur, and North, In York, it is made into a sort of dissylla-

- ble by adding t; dius, fool-^oo-i// sdKxd— ^cAoo-i/; &c.

OoLy Owl, wool. Had the kamed author of the Commenta-
ries on the Laws of England been acipiainted with this int>-
nundatbn, he need not have gone so fiur to sedc the meaning
of what he calls owUng. V. Blackstone, Vol. IV., p. IM.

Orndorns, " afternoon's drinkings, corrupted ftom onederim^
Bay; who gives it as a Cumb. word. Owndbb is used in
some parts of the North, for the afternoon; and may be the
same word as Chaucer's uTidem. In a list of words commu-
nicated to me by a friend, a native of Cumberiand, I find or«-
dinner, for afternoon's luncheon.

OsKBN, an oxgang of land — varying in quantity in different town-
ships, according to the extent of ground, and the number of
oxgangs contained in the respective aggregates. In our old
laws it meant as much as an ox-team could plough in a year.

OsTHousE, or HosTHOusE, a public house or place to which
farmers or strangers resort on a market day. Sax. gtMkti*.
V. Somner.

Otheroaits, Otrergates, otherwise, different. Goth, odrw-

. gatas.

If Sir Toby had not been in drink, he would have tickled
you othergates than he did.— iST^. Tivdfih NlghU

OuHEB, the shade. Fr. ombre, Lat. umbra.

.OusEN, or OwsEN, oxen. 'i&x&.'-Qot. aukme. Sc. ou^en.

He has gowd in his cofiers, he has outen and kine.
And ae bonie lassie, his darling, and minen— j^tcryMw

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OWSE 223

OuT-BT, a short way from home, not fiir distant.

OuT-FAiXy a quarrel, a misunderstanding — a faUmg'Out. Swed;
utfall^ a hostile excursion.

OuTiNO, an airing, going from home. Swed. uttaeg, an expedi-'
tion abroad. The word is also used for an entertainment or

. supper given by an apprentice to his shopmates, on the expi-
ration of his servitude; called likewise a/oy. -

OvTLAT, expenditure. Dr. Jamieson refers to Swed. udagga^ to
expend; whence utlaga, tax; uUagor^ expenditure. This
word surely ought to be in our National Dictionary.

OtTTLBB, an animal not housed— an outlier. As applied to per-
sons, outUer is classical.

OuTRAKB, a free passage for sheep fixnn inclosed pastures into
open grounds or common lands. Sax. ut-reecan^ extendere.
Dr. Willan, however, thinks that, in writing the word out^rack,'
we should perhaps exhibit the right mode of spelling, as well
as the derivation of it.

OuTSHOT, a projection of the upper stories of an old house.
There used to be several of these ouUhoU in Newcastle, though
few now remain. Swed. vitkiutande,

OuTWAi«E, refriser-that which is waled out, or rgected. See
Wale. Isl. utvel, eligere, seems cognate.

Owe, to belong to— to own. An old sense of the word.
" Whose owe that?" — to whom does it belong? ' Who does
own it?

OwEE, over. ** Ower little." — Owee, too. ; " Ower large."
Also, as applied to situation, upper, higher. — Out-owee,
across, beyond. — Owbb-bt, over the way.— Oweefornenst,
opposite to. — Dur, and North.

OwEB^iT, OvEB-rr, V, to recover from an illness. ** Poor thing,
Fm sadly afraid she'll never ower itJ*

OwERMiCKLE, OvERHiCKLE, ovor much. Sax. ofer-miceL

OwERWELT, applied to a sheep incapable of rising from its supine
state. — York, It seems synonymous with Au wards ; which
see.

OwsE, any thing; the contrary to Nowse. ** Owte or nowse."

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224 OWX

«

OwT^ Ought, any tfakig. Sax. owkU, aliqiiid, qukqaid.

OwTRER, either. An old word. ** Owiher of us."

Ox-ETBy the greater titmouse. Panu mo^or.— LinosBus.

OxuPy the grealter cowsfip. Primula eloHar. Sax. oxan^&ppa*
la the IMQdsuauiier Night's Dream, the place of litania's re-
pose is

A honk where the wild thjrae blows.
Where ov^w and the nodding violet grows.

OxTAR, Oxter, the arm pit. Sax. oxtan^ Pegge^ however,
thinks it should perhaps be written Hockster, quasi the hodk
of the arm, or the lesser hock.

Otb, a grandchild. V« Jamieson, oe; GaeL Diet, mge; and
Brand's Pop. Ant. Vol. II., p. 230.

Oysters. £b-sheb-kb-le-kaul-er^ysteers, the &mous cry of
the dder oyster-wenches, in Newcastle; but now rarely carried
to this musical extent. Bewick has figured two of these
dames in a tail-piece to his Land Birds, edit. 1821, p. 20.

P-

PacKj the wardiouse of a pedlar. ^ Pemh the Pack^^ was a
well-known character in Newcastle, a few years ago.

Pacuno-penny-day, the last day of the fair ; when all the d^eap
bargaint are to be had.'-^Newc.

Packman, a pedlar — a man who carries a pack on his back.
Many persons in Newcastle, now enjoying oHum cum dignitatem

. are lineally descended from packmen^^oi whose country we
know nothing — ^through no very remote genealogy. Many of
the Scots pedlars, too, have arrived at the hi^est dvic ho-
nours.

Paddick, or Paddock, a frog. Never applied to a toad;
though the etymology favours that meaning. Sax. pad^ Swed.
padUf Dut padde^ a toad.

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PANG , 1»5

. Poddodceif todes, and water-snakes.

Chapman, CcBior and Pompey,

As ask, or eddyre, tade, or pade.

Wpniownu Cwn^fidL

PADJXiCK, a small field or park adjoining to, or surrounding a
house. Sax. pearroc, pearruc. In Westmorland, parntck,
evidently the proper word, is a common name for an indosure
near a farm bouse. So in Northumberland, parrick is stiH
used for a place made with rails and straw, to shdter lands in
bad weather.

Paddock-stool, or Paddock-stuil> a fungus often mistaken for
a mushroom. Teut. padden-stoeli boletus.

Pa2>-the-hoof, to walk — to pad, or travel on foot.

Pafvling, silly, trifling, loitering. ^ A pqffling fellow."

Paik^ to beat, to chastise. Germ, pauketu — Paiks, a beating, a
dru\^bing, a chastisement. V. Jam. and Peg infi*a«

pAiNcips, the common name for tripe. From paunch. — ^Painco-
WIFE, a tripe woman. — Newc,

Palms, the flowers or buds of the sallow tree. See Sauoh.

Palteblsy, Palteret, common pronundations of paltry.

Pan, to match, to agree, to assimilate. Dr. Willan seems to
think that this word must be borrowed from cookery :'~^t»
author of the Crav. Gloss, from Sax. pan^ a piece of cloth
inserted or agreeing with another. But see Todd's John*
pan; and Kennett's Gloss, impanalare. In Hallamshire, to
pan to, is to apply closely.

Pancake-Tuesday; Shrove Tuesday; on which day it is a ge-
neral custom in the North to have pancakes served up. The
turning of them in the pan is observed as a feat of dexterity
and skill. Formerly, in Newcastle, the great bell of St.
Nidiolas' church was tolled at twelve o'dock at noon; when
the shops and offices were immediately closed, and a little
cami^ ensued for the remainder of the day, which is still a
sort of holiday for children, apprentices, and servants. .

Pang, to fill, to stu£ Teut. ban^ien, premere.— Pang-full, 49r

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t«« Pant

BangoFull {p and b heing often interchanged)^ crammed #itJi
food.

Pant, a public fountain. In Newcastle it is of a particular con-
stniction, having a reservoir before it for retaining the water.
According to Skinner, pond was anciently pronounced pand,
which may be derived from Sax. pyndan, to inclose or shut up,
and which might easily get changed to pant. See a represen-
tation of a North country pant, in Bewick's JEaop. p. 334.

Parct-and, or And-parct, the sign or contraction 4'. It is and
per se; that is, expressed by itself in one character. In the
old dames' schools the children used to make it a twenty-
seventh letter—** x, y, z, andparcy**

Parfit, perfect, entire. Fr. patfait. Used by Chaucer.

Parget, to plaster chimnies with a mixture of cowMlung,^c.;
formerly the common term for plastering the roofs of rooms.
V. Nares. Pargiter still remains as a surname in the midland
counties.

Parush, perilous, dangerous, wonderful— also acute^ dever,
shrewd. Parlous is an old word ; still in use.

Apartotu boy I— go to, you are too shrewd.

Shak* King Richard HI.

Taxrisked, perithed, starved, much afiected by cold. — Parrish-
MBNT, a state of starvation. ** A parrithment o* caud.**

Pass, or Pazb, v. to raise, to lifb up, to break or open with vio-
lence. Fr. peter^ to weigh. — Pass, or Paze, t. a lever.

Pash, V, to bruise, to crush, to dash in pieces. Su.-Got. basa.
This old word occurs in a sublime passage in the first of our
English satirists—-

Beth cam drevend after, and al to dutltptdhite
Kynges and knyghtes, caysers and popes :
Ijered ne lewide, he leftie bo man stand
That he hitte evene stored nevere after.

Peirt Ploughman* t Vitions, edit. Whiiaker^p. dffL

Pash, t, any thing decayed. ^* As rotten as pash**
Pash, a heavy fall of rain or snow. Dut. plas, puddle ?

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PEA-S $27,

pAiTB«a(M», eggjt boiled hard, and dyed or ituned various co-
loura-^ven to children about the time of £a9ter; anciently
called poick^ from Sax. pascke. The custom of presenting
egg^ at this season of the year is of great antiquity^ and per-
vaded various nations. Su.-Grot. pdsk-egg, V. Ihre, vo. egg,
Dan. patuke-^gi coloui^ed Easter eggs. Much curious matter
relative to this subject is collated in Brand's Pop. Antiq. Vol.
I., Eoiter-eggt,

Paste-egg-day, the common appellation of Easter Sunday,

Patb^ a Northern name for a brock or badger. V. Ray.

Pauky, saucy» squeamish, scrupulously nice — also proud, inso-
lent, cunning, artful. Q. SsLX^pacany mendri?

Paul, to puzzle, tcfput to a stand. Perhaps from appall

P^UT, «. to paw, to walk heavily, to kick. — Paut, s, a stroke
on the ground with the foot. Teat, pad, planta pedis^

Paw, the hand. Adopted from the paw of an animal.

Pawp, v. to walk in an awkward, clumsy manner.— Pawp, «. the
foot-<^)aiticularly a clumsy one.

Pay^ ^ beat, to drub. " The rascal pai/s his wife." Welsh,
pyf^fomt to beat, to batter.— Pays, a beating, a drubbing.

Two, I am sure, I have paid.

Sfiok. Firtt Part of King Henry IV.

Fba-jagket, a loose rough jacket, or short covering, with conical
buttons of a small size, termed ^ea-buttons; much used in
severe weather by mariners, and by watermen on the Tyne.
It was formerly the holiday outer^ras of the keelmen.

Pbas-straw, a rustic love charm. A Cumbrian g^ri, when her
lover proves unfaithful to her, is, by way of consolation, rub-'
hed with peds-ttraw by the neighbouring lads; and when a
Cumbrian youth loses his sweetheart, by her marriage with a
rival, the same sort of comfort is administered to him by the
lasses^of the village. — Note^ in AndenorCt Ballads.

PBashitraw, the final dance at a rustic party ; something similar
to the ancient cmhion dance at weddings,

PSA-fWAD, a peascod. Sc, pea'fwab, or swaup. See Swao.

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fm psnD

Gay deiciHies a nittic method of lot e difiiiBtioii nM pcM-
cods.

PBDDBRy PnrHBRy w Pbthub, b pedkp— e tranrdtiog merduuit
on ibot— lie that paddeth. See Tooke on path. Fr* jiM

• aUcTf to go on foot.

Pee, to squint, to spy with one ^e— to look throng^ contracted
eye-lids. — Pebd, blind of an e|i^ There is a ludicrous anec*
dote of ^ Peed Dalton of Shap/' in Nicolson and Bum's
Hist, of West, and Cumb. Vol. I.^ p. 537.

Pee-dbe, a young lad in a keel, who has charge of the rudder.
In other respects, something similar to the cabin-boy of a Aip,
Gr. wxth, has been communicated to the author as the deriva-
tion ; and Fr. peHt, has been suggested al allied. But there
is an old French word peditseque, deSmed by Roquefort,
** valet, laquais qui va ^ pied," which seems to be the most
probable etymon.

Pbel, a place of strength— a fortress or castlelet; contrived
equally for the protection of cattle beneath as of a fiunily
above, and calculated to prevent a sudden surprise. Sax. pH,
moles. Lat. pela, pelum, a pile or fortress. The word occurs
in several ancient charters in Rymer*s Foedera. Peels were
numerous in the Border districts of the North, in times when
family feuds and Scotch maraudings rendered ordinary dwell-
ings insecure against predatory attadcs. After the union of
the Crowns, many of these Peels had modem mansions added
to them, and the old towers were gradually sufe*ed to fidl
into decay.

Invidious rust corrodes the bloody steel ;

Bark and dismantled lies each ancient /i^;

A&r, at twilight gray, the peasants shun,

Hhfi dome accurst, where deeds of blood were done.

Leydem.

Peek, properly sigmQr Gothic strong-holds, the defences of
which are of earth i^ed with timber, strengthened with pUet
or paUaades, such as were common on the Continefbt at a very

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eoriy peripd. Tbefwgt ^tesoribed fay Ganw ar the i
of the Britons.
PlDDLniG, a paring. ^ An apfde peeUn^*^'^ A potatoe pe^u^**
ftsNGiNe, uttering feeble, frequent, and someiriiat peevish com-
plaints. ** A peengmg Aotm"-^ whining, fretful child. Tent.
pynighen, affiigeve.
Pbb-^tht, PEEZ^fVEEP, the k^nriig, or bistard plover ; so called
fiKNn its note. TMnga vanelku. Lin. Teat. pietuU, The
common people in the North Riding of Yorkshire believe that
at one period the cutkat, or ringdove, laid ks ^ggs upon the
ground, and that the peewit h contra made its nest on hig^.
They further believe that an amicable exdumge took place be-
tween die two birds, and that at the present day they respect-
ively ong out their feelings up<m the subject. The peewit

Pee-wit, pee-wit,

I coup*d my nest and I rue it

The cushat's note implies.

Coo, coo, come now.

Little lad with thy gad, . «

Come not thou.

PEB-WIT-I4AMD, poor land which the pee-wit haunts.

Peff, to cough short and faintly; as sheep. Grose. See
Pbhsh.

Pbo, V, to beat with sharp knuckles. IbI. piaka^ tundere. — ^Peo^
#. a blow or thump. Peg is also used for a tooth ; particularly
applied to those of little' children. There is a peg-4op (a toy
used by boys) that spins on a foot resembling a tooth.

Ite, a diminutive of Mu'garet; properly a little girl. Sax, pigtL
Ban. pige. Swed. piga,

Peioh, to pant, to draw the breath short as in an asthma. Isl.
puoy aspirare. Swed. picka, to pant.

Pelch, weak, famt, indisposed, exhausted.

VwH, the oldy though now vulgar, name finr a fieather. Old Fr.

' Digitized by VjOOQIC

t9ft PENN

FDfMY-stAii^ a itone ifaak with which ehUMh |^jr«

PEEBTy a heavy shower of ndn — ^a pour or atreeis.

Pet, a domesticated Iamb— a spoiled, pampered child— a fond^
ling designation for a female favourite. Several of our ol4
play writers use peai, in the latter sense.

Fbteiuwaggt, the Northern name fiv a Harkquhi toy.

pETH, a road up a steep hilL Sax. ptM, semita, calUs. Seve-
ral places in Northumberland and Durtiam have this appeilatson.

Petted, fondled, indulged* ** What a petted child it is."

Peust, snog, comfortable, in easy circumstances. Se« puut.

PuNET, Ptanot, Py'net, a magpie. Welsh, pioden^ In the
rustic creed the magpie is conddered a Inrd of bad or gckkL
omen; and various events are predicted from the numhetfs
seen together. Two, say the common peofile in: Durham,
foretell good luck; three marriage; aqd four dealh S In
Northumberland the following popular rhyme is repeated con-
cerning the character of the omen :

One is sorrow, two mirth.
Three a wedding, four a birth.

Pick, v, to pitchy to throw. Su.-Oot. picka, minijitis iolJbus

tundere.

I'd make a quarry

With thousands of these quartered slaves, as high
As I could jpicX: my lance. — Shak. Conolanus,

Pick, i. pitch. Sax. pic. But. pik, " Pifkke, pix." PKmpt*
I^irv. From an old entry in Darlington parish books; it ap*
pears that " Bess Johnson used a pound of jpM indfertwgm
cure of Ann Spence's scald head."

Pickatree, the woodpecker. This sprightly bird is remarkable
for its curious dwelling, picked in the solid tree, with the most
consummate art.

Pick-fork, a hay-fork with two prongs— a pitch-fork*

Pickle, a small quantity, a little. Ital. piceolo.

PicK«Ni6RT, dismal— as dark Mpiek^ or pitch. Shakspeare and
later writers use pitchy , in the same sense.

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PINK $Zl

Theo aw met yor Ben, an* we were like to fight ;
An* when we cam to Sandgate it wta pick-night.

Song, Mow Canny Hitmy,

PtCKSy the suit of diamonds at cards. Grose erroneously says
wpades; which is a Scotch term^ adopted from the French
pique^ as marked on fordgn cards* Brand pretends to seek a
derivation in the resemblance which the diamond bears to a
miU'^aick, as fusils are sometimes called in Heraldry. Mr.
Hunter informs me, that when people have burnt thdr shins
by sitting before a hot fire, they will say ** my l^s are all over

. picks and hearts; that is, in red blotches.

PiBCBy a little while. ** Stay a piece** Ital. pezzo».

PiFUB, to filch, to steal — ^to piffer; firom which it is derived*

PiGGiN, a small wooden cylindrical vessel, made with staves and
bound with hoops like a pail. In common use on the borders

-. of Northumberland; especially for hasty-pudding*

PlOTREE, PiGCBEfi, Or PlGEBT, a pig-Sty.

Pike, v. to select, to chuse, to pit^m From Dut. picken.

Pike, s, the top or apex of a hill or eminence; such as Pontop-
pike, in the county of Durham ; Glanton-pike^ Northumber-
land. 8BX,peac. Fr.ptc. Sp^pico,

PncE, «. a large cock or pile of hay. See Hat-making.

Pikelet, a small round light cake— a sort of muffin.

PiN-coDD, or pRiN-coDD, a pin-cushion. Sc. preenrcod,

PiMCH-GUT, a penurious person— a covetous, miserable wretch—
quasi pinched.

Pinging, making one feel; as firom cold^-ptnching,. ** Aping'
Mjg daf* — an extremely cold day.

PiNGLB, to work assiduously but inefficiently— -to labour until
you are almost blind* Germ, petmgen^ to pain, to harass.

Pdik, v. to look slyly at— to look with the eye half open.

Pink, a. small. — Pinkv, very smalL Dut. pinkje.. — Pinkt-
wiNKT, the smallest imaginable* 'V You're all pinky^tuinky,
and ready for n^Uy— said to children who sit up until they
are half asleep. Neh is a pure word for bill, and the figure is
a bird putting its head under its wing*

Digitized by VjOOQIC

23$ PIN.P

PiN-PANiQXBLt-pSMX»w»m miserable, coretous, mwpKiofir fdlow,
one who pina up or fastens his paniers and baskets. Grrose.

Piper, a minstrel. North. Sax. pipere. The noble house of
Percy still retain pipers in their service, TSiey wear, on the
ngfat arm, a silver crescent, granted as a badge to the famUy,
jfbr having taken the Turkish standard, in an expedition
against the Saracens, in the Holy Land: attend the courts-
leet and fain held for the Lord : — and pay suit and service at
Alnwick Castle. Their instmment is the andent Northom-
briwEi bag-pipe, di£ferent in form and execution firom the
Scotch; it being much smaller, and blown, not with the
breath, but by a pair of bellows fixed under the left arm. The
music poWsses all the wild, and sjnrited characteristics of the
HS^dand pibroch.

In Northomberiand, we still occasionally meet with an
itinerant EBghland pq)er, striking into one of those wild Nor-
thern airs, which often have stirred/^ even old age to die fiR»-
lics and pranks of youth."

PiPBSTOFPBL, a fragment of the shank of a tobacco-pipe^ used for
compressing the ashes of tobacco in a pipe. Germ, sioptel, a
bung or stopper. Sc. ptpe^stappie, .

P#*##*o ON A Gbats. Women transported with rage and
wickedness sometimes threaten their deadly enemies in this
manner. A clergyman, in Northumberland, informed me that
he had heard of a peraon who was actually guilty of such a
revenge. Many old customs are harmless; butdus is com-
posed of nothing but horrible materials. The learned audior
of the History of Hallamshire has pointed out to me a re-
markable illustration of this article in JTie Legend of ^
NichoUu Throckmorton^ published in Peck's Memoira of Mil«
ton, p. 57. Though somewhat more drcumstandally descfib-
ed than our modem taste approves, yet it would be an excess
of fastidiousness to vnthhold it from the reader, were it not
much too long for insertion here; and any attempt to abiidge
it, would, I fear, do it great injustice.

Pitman, a collier— a man who works in a coal pU^ The pitnen

Digitized by VjOOQIC

PLOO j^3

- are a diidoei dam in society, almost eotirel/ separated from
the agricultural part of the comnmoity. They principally
reside witbin a few miles of the rivers Tyne and Wear, chiefly
in long rows of one-storied houses^ called pit-rows, in the vici-
nity of the minest They have been accustomed for genera-
tions to nmrry with their own racej the sons r^ilarly follow-*
k^ the occupations of thdr sires. They were formerly much
addicted to the degrading vice of cock-fitting ; and some of
them, I understand, may still be seen in those diabolical
assembliesy where amusement is sought in the vilest of all
diversions.

Pitman's-pink> a name given to the single pink, which is a great
ikvourite among the pitmen, who, in general, pay much atten-
tion to the cultivation of flowers.

BiTTEBpPAtTEa, to beat inccssantiy, like a heavy fall of rain.

PrrrT-PATTT, palpitation, a quick, movement of the heart.

PtAMBr^pro climate— also, in the sense of partially; as ''the
rain faUs in planets**

Plash, v. to splash. Sa.*<jk>t. p^fi^o.— Plash, «. a heavy &11
or severe shower of rain. Germ, platzregen. But. plasregen.

Pleach, to bind a hedge. Vv.plesser. V. Cotg^ave.

PiXAN, to complain. An old word ; from Fr. plaigner.

Plean, or Plbant-ptb, a tell-tale, or prating gossip. Pleignen
occurs in Grower.

Plenish, to furnish a house, to stock a farm. Old Fr. plenir, to
replenish. — Plenishing, household furniture.— Plenishing^
WAIN, articles of fumitive belonging to a bride*

Plett, to fold, to twist or plait. SuMot, pldta, nectere, con-
nectere.

Pletts, folds, plaits. '' I must put my mouth into small pkttt
when I go there f* meaning, I must be circumspect in my b^
havioiar.

Plodge, to wade through water, to plunge. But. ploegen,

PtooKT, Plooky-facbd, puuplod. Gael, f^ucan, a pimple.
Plooky, plooky, are your cheeks.
And j^hohy is your chin — BaUad, Sir Hugh k Bkmd.
Hh

\

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«34 PLOT

Plotb, to pluck feathers; ihetaphorieaify to diide vdiementij
^ How aha ^/ofo# him." Teat, platen.

Plote, to scald. To plote a pigy is to pour scalding water iq>on
it, which causes the hair to come offy and makes it easner to
8crBpe.«-PL0TiNG-H0T, scaldiug hot. — North,

Ploute, a long walking stick, generally used (with the thick aid
downward) by foot-hunters.— Dur. and North,

Plouteb, to wade through water or mire— to be engaged in any

. dirty work. Teut. piotten. Germ, pladem. — Rlowding, is
also used in the same sense; though probably only a variatioii
ofplodging,

Ptx>T, a harmless frolic in which a party is engaged ; a merry
meeting. Dr. Jamieson is inclined to view the word as form-
ed from Sax. plegan, to play.

Plutf, to blow in the face, to e3q>lode gunpowder— to pttffl

Pluff, Pleuoh, a plough. Su.'Got. plog, Getm,pjiug. 8c
pleueh. This gives me an opportunity of presenting to the
reader a genuine Northumbrian specimen of an agricultuial
reproof; communicated to me by a friend, who heard it.

•* Ye ill fiur'd body ye ! ye pretend to guide the pluft to
leeve a adet a baaks in aa the &ugh quarter. I'll ha ne mair
o* thee I Se ye may gang at the Fair, honest man ! Thou
mun de*t better nor that, else thou may gang beam.**

PocK-ARRED, pitted wlth the small pox. See Arr.
PocK-FRETTEN, marked with the small-pox. See Fretten.
PoE, a turkey. Fr. paon. Lat. pavo. Sax. pawa, — Poe!

Poe! a call to turkies.
Poke, to stoop. '* To poke the head." Germ, pochen, to

knock, as if the head were projected for the purpose.
Poke, a bag, a sack. The parent of pocket. Sax. pocca^ a

pouch. Isl. jooArt, saccus. Teut. pohe, ** A pig in a poke,^*

is an old, well-known. Northern proverb.
Poked, offended, piqued. *' He was tare poked,"
PoKEMANTLE, a name for a portmanteau. See Portmamtle.
Poker and. Tongs, when a horse strikes the hind against the

fore shoe. Also called Hammer and Pincers.

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POUT 236

PoOMEii) any thing very large. ^ Ee i what a poomer U is**'

Poor body ! poor creature. A very ^mmon colloquial expres-
sion of sympathy. Sc. pvir body,

Pooii<T» indifferent in health.-- Veiit poorlt, yery unwell, '

PoVy Pore, an iron bar, or poker, for stirring the fire. Teut.
porren, urgere, compellere.

Porky, plump in the person. ** What ? the porky gentleman.'*

PoRTiiANTLE, a Yulgar, though old, name for a portmanteau;

' which was originally a bag for a doak or mantle,

PosiE^ a nosegay. See Brand's Pop. Antiq. Vol. IL, p. 48.

Poss, to dash violently in the water, to beat; as to **pots
clothes'^ in what is called a Poss-tdb.

PossT, short and fat, thick-set, protuberant; applied to the per-
son. Apparently the same as Powsey.

PoT-CfjBFs, pot-hooks. Ray says, from clip or clap, because they
elap or catch hold of the pot.

PbT^LUCK, an invitation to a family dinner^ or friendly repast,
excluding the idea of any previous or ceremonious prepara-
tion«-the chance of the table. The Roman condicere ad
coenam. Fr. la fortune du pot, A Northern squire invited
his present Majesty, when Prince Regent, to take pot^uck.

Potter^ to stir, to poke ; as to potter the fire. Dut. peutc'
ren,

PoTTiCAR, an apothecary. Potycary is the genuine old word,
and not a contraction of apothecary, as Dr. Johnson and others
have pr^ended. See a strange conclave in Bewick's JEaop,
p. 36.

PoTTiNGER, a coarse earthen-ware pot, with a handle. Germ.
pott engey a narrow pot. Porringer, therefore^ would seem to
be a corruption.

Pou, Poo, or PooGH, to pull. ** Poo away my lads**

PovcE, nastiness.*— PoucY, untidy, all in a litter.

PouK, to strike; or rather to push, or poke. In Siicotland, it
means to pull with nimbleness or force, like English pluck.

Pout, to kidt or strike with the feet, V. Ray, pote.

Pout, a chicken. Fr. poulet. Poult is classical.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

sae pow

Pow, a term for the hwdt obviously ^sm poU.

Albeit mjiiow was bald and bare.^lZtimM^.

Pow-SBADy a tad^pole before it has leg^

PowsEYy fBLtp decent looking^ respectable in appearance, See
PossY.

PowsoDDT» or Pansoddt, a pudding placed under the roast.
Also called Yoiucshirs-puddimg, Aud-wife's-sod, and Ciii«>
DEB^ATGHER. In Scotlaud there is a dish-^^epU head broth,
pouysodden.

Prickle, a basket or measure of wicker work among fruiterers.
Formerly made of briers; hepce, perhaps, the name.

Prig, to plead hard in a bargain, to higgle in price, Dut. pra^
chen, to b^.

Priggish, vain^ conceited, affected, coxcoraical. From prig,

Prin, a pin. Isl. pnon^ acus capitata. Ban^ preen, a bodkin,
or punch. Dr. Jamieson has satisfactorily proved that this is
no corruption of the word.

Prin-cod, a pincushion. In the reign of Henry VIIL, the men
stuck pins in a disgusting part of their dress ; before alluded
to under the article God, Codd. Strutt's idea that this
fashion of wearing a cod-piece came from the French gnad^nse,
seems without foundation. That word, so for as the researches
of the present writer extend, is used only by the satirical
Babelais, and in all probability proceeded from the mint of
his own fertile imagination, in the triumph of his wit and
drollery.

Pringox, a pert, forward fellow. V. Todd's John. princodt.

Prod, Proddy, a prick, a skewer. Su.-Got, brodd, aculeus.
Dan. brod, a sting, a prick. B and p are often used indiscri-
minately in the Gothic languages.

Prog, Proggle, v. to prick, to pierce. Isl. brydda, pungere.

Prog, i. a prick. — Progly, «. prickly. See Prod.

Pross, t;. to chat, to talk familiarly. Fr. prosner, or proner, to
gossip.

Pross, «. talk, conversation-^ratiier of tiie gossiping kind. '^ l4et

Digitized by VjOOQIC

PUOY 887

us have a ^ of prou** TheproMe of modem timeS; as Mr.

Todd justly remarks, is akin to this Northern word,
Pboup, luxuriant; bs proud com, Sax.pr»^. Ital^prode.
Ps AND Q's, a nicety of behaviour; an observance of all due

formalities. Perhaps from a French injunction to make pro-
per obdsancesy '* Soyez attentifs h, vospiet et a vot queues;^*

in other words^ ** mind your I^$ and QV*
PcBBLB, fully plump ; usually spoken of com or fruit, in opposi-

sition to /an^ome— any thing &t, or distended.
Pucker, flutter, agitation, confusion. '* MHiat a pucker he's in I"

A figuratiye application of the word.
Fuggy, damp, moist; arising from gentle perspiration. '^A

puggy hand." •* A puggy face.**
Pule, or Publ, a hole of standing water — a pooL Sn^pui,

Welsh, pwl. Bay and Grose have pulk,
Pdk, to eat without appetite.— Puling, sick, without appetite,
PuLLEN, poultry. An old word. V. Todd's John. The Pul-

len market in Newcastle. PvUen is also a term for the small

crab used for baiting sea*fishing-hooks.
Pummel, to beat severely, to chastise with the^^ "LsX^pugiM,

For yoiur pate I would pumnuH,

Beaunu ^ Flet, Four Ptayt {» Om.

Punch, to strike with the feet— to thrust as with a point. Germ.
puncty a points

PuND, a pound. Sax. pund^ The Gothic, Islandic, and Swe-
dish are the same. Welsh, ^«»^,

PuN-FAUD, or PiN-FAUD, a piu-fold. Sax. pyndan, to inclosQ. —
PuNDER, the pindar or pounder, who has the chai^ of the
pinfold — a pound keeper.

PuoY, Put, or Pouie, a long pole, with an iron spike or spikes,
at the end; used in propelling keels in shaUow water, or when
it is inconvenient to use sails or oars. Span, apoyo, a prop,
stay, or support* Fr. appui; and so a pouie, by erroneously
supposing a to be an article, instead of a part of the word.
Poles, for poshing on boats, occur in all ages.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

f36 PURD

PiTBor/a little thick-iH fellow. I owe tfais word tatfae commu-
Bication of a clerical friend in the County of Durham, idio
first heard it at Barnard Castle. On ascertaining the mean-
ingy the following dialogue took place. .

Q, What does jwrd|r mean ?

A. A little ihroiUm up tiling like a Jack at Warts,

Q. What's that ?

A. Something like a /iffie (tfrn^r.

Q. What is a lime burner ?

A, Oh nobbit a Kmdal itockener*

Q. What is that?

A. A lUtk mck-tetfiOtm,

Moor has purdtfy in the sense of proud, ostentatious.

PcniELYy quite well in health— jnire welL

PoBUCDB, or CmtucuE, a flourish in writing — a dash at the end
of a word. Fr. pour la queue. V. Jamieson.

l^UBsr, fiit, bloated, swoln out; implying also the difficulty (^
breathing arising from such a state. V. Jam. and Jam. Supp.

Put, to push, to propel ; as, putting a keel. Welsh, pwtiaw.

Put-about, perplexed, at a difficulty. Shakspeare rq>eated]y
uses put to itf in the same sense.

PvBRHY-DANCERs, a name given to the glancings of the Aurora
BoreaUt. The same as Merry-dancers; which see. This
term may have been adopted from the Pt^rMca taUaHoy or
military dance of the ancients ; from which, no doubt, the
iword-4cmce of the Northern youths, at Christmas, has had its
origin.

Q.

Quail, to fail, to fell sick, to faint. V. Todd's Johnson.
Quandary, a dilemma, an unpleasant predicament, a state of
perplexity. Skinner's derivation from Fr. qti^.en dirai je?

Digitized by VjiOOQlC

QI70R f^»

ii^hat filiall I say about it? is adopted in Todd's Johnson.
But the pronoun (nominatiye) was often left out by old French
writers, which would here make the derivation more accurat^-^
qu*en diraif
Quean, a term of abuse to a female— sometimes implying the
most disgraceful name that can be applied to the sex. Moe.-
Got queins, quens. Sax. cweriy a wench— ^though not prima-
rily used in a reproachful sense.

A witch, a queans an old cozening guean,

Shak, Merry fVwet of IVhtdior,

Queer, the choir, or ^^V^ of a church. Old Eng. qider.

Queer, a quire ; as of paper. Old Eng. qwdre. Old Fr. quaver.

Quern, a hand mill for grinding com, made of two corresponding
stones. It is. one of our oldest words j; and, with slight varia-
tions, is found in all the Northern languages. — M(B.-Got«
quaim, mola manualis. Su.-Got. quern. Sax. cweom. Dan.
quern, Swed. ^iMim. TeuUqueme.

Are you not he.
That fright the maidens of the villagery ;
Skim milk ; and sometimes labour in the quern.
And bootless make the breathless housewife churn.

Shak. Mid. Nighfs Dream.

Capell ridiculously supposed that quern here meant chum.

QuET, generally pronounced Why, or Whye, a heifer, or young*
cow undl it has had a calf. Dan. quie. Swed. quiga, — Quey-
CALF, a female calf. Dan. quiekalv, Swed. qmgkalf.

QuisEY, confounded, dejected. V. Todd's John, queasy.

Quite, got quit of. — Quite-better, (not certainly, or undoubt-
edly better, but) quite well, completely recovered. It is the
comparative joined with the superlative — ^an inveterate Nor-
thumbrianism.

QuoBN, or QuoARN, a Northern pronunciation of com.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

S40 RABB

R«

Rabble, to speak in a confused manner. Teut. rahbeten^ blat^

. rare. Apparently identical with Raybl; which see.

Rabbleuent, a tumultuous crowds a moh. A rery old word,
still in use, though Dr. Johnson has stated it to be obsolete.

Rack, *. a track, a trace. Dut. rache. This is the meaning of
the word used by our great dramatic poet, in the following
exquisite and well-known passage in the Tempest, whatever
the commentators may be pleased to say to the contrary.

The cloud*capp*d towers, the gorgeous palaces.
The solemn temples, the great globe itself
Yea, all which it inhierit, shall dissolre }
And, like this insubstantial pageant Med,
Leave not a rack behind.

Rack, 9, the clouds ; or rather the track in which thdy move by
the action of the wind. Sax. recy vapour. Swed. reka.
Archdeacon Nares is mistaken in thinking that the word is
not now in use.

But, as we often see, against some storm,
A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still.
The bold winds speechless, and the orb below
As hush as death.— ^A^. Hamlet.

Rack, «. wreck. Sw. rak^ bona naufragorum in littus ejects.
Rack, v, to care, to heed. Sax. recaiiy to reck. V. Ray.
Racklbss, thoughtless, careless, heedless, improvident. Old
- £ng. retcMeis, reckdes$; from Sax. recceiea^
Rack-rider, a small trout, 6 or 8 inches long, caught in the

alpine rivulets of Northumberland.
Raff, a raft. Hence, Raff-merchant, for a timber-merchant;

and Raff-yard, for a timber-yard.
Raffung, idle, worthlsss, dissolute. ** A raffling chap."
Rag, to rate, to scold. Isl. raega, to accuse, to reproach.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

^GABASHy low, idle peq>le— such as, are generally. in ffBgs.:^
Rubbish is used in the same sense. Both terms may be said
to be synonymous with ragamt^ffin.

Ragbous, in a rage, in exeessive pain, violent— m^^^

Raid, an incurnon, or plundering inroad of the Scottish Border-
ers into the English frontier.'— ^orM. Sax. rod, rode, invano,
incursusyirruptio. V. Somner.

Rain^birds, Rain-fowl, popular names for woodpeckers. These,
birds are well known by their loud and peculiar cries, which,
frequentiy repeated, are thought to prognosticate raifu The .
Romans called them phmce aves, for the same reason.

Raise, a cairn, tumulus, or heap of stones. In the parishes of
Edenhall and Lazonby, in Cumberland, there are yet some
considerable remains of stones, which still go by the name of
raife«, though many of them have been carried away and all of
them are thrown out of thdr ancient form and order. V.

' Hutchinson's I£st of Cumb., Vol. I., p. 252. There is also
Woundaie RaUcy in the parish of Windermere, in Westmor-
land. , I?icolson and Bum, Vol. L, p. 188.

Rake, v. to walk, to range or rove about. Su.-Got. rdia^ to
roam. — ^Rakb, u the extent of a walk or course. Hence, a
^heep'rake.

Rake, to cover, to . gather togetiier. To rake, ike fire, is to sup-
ply it 'With coals, or to put it in such a condition that it may
continue burning all night, so as to be ready in the moming-i-
a common practice In muiy kitchens in the North, where coals
are plentiful. Shakspeare uses the word in this senses when,
in Sling Lear, he makes Edgar say.

Here in the sands
Thee I'll rake np^-^mAd IV. Sc. 6«

Ram, foetid, acrid, pungent. Isl. rammr, amarus. Dan. ram,

rank, randd. " A ram smell" — ** a ram teste."
Rams, Ream, to cry aloud, to ask over and over again in a teas-
- ing manner. Sax. hreamauy damare. Su.-Got. raama. —
li

Digitized by VjOOQIC

t4t RAMB

Rimitoy BiAHiwi, ciyi^gi wpedillj m denodng fciienitioa

(sTtlillnneMiiiMt
'SLams, RAiKy Rawk, to readi flnytUttg awkwardly or greedily^ to

•tr^tch allvr* Tent raemm, entandere, dbtendere.
Sahuimuus • taliy tun growing, mmb^ jootlH-m sort of

AvaOn0Qp>nOy«

Rammklt, tally and rank. V. JiM. tammel; td. mue.
RiliFABoiy to piatttie about Airfoualyy to make a groat noiae or

iDatiireaiiMii Bidu ^mifMi^ ftunpaiit*
tUMsoACEiM, or Rammiickl^ to aaaifdi narroirlyy to ranaack.

JRaiukaeMe, (i» iiluader, la did In oar language.
RaudTi «b a tulgar, brawling woinan«-« coarse fiery vimgo.
Hmhw, «• lioiateroost dM Hr epcrom, diaorderly in bdiavlour.
RAiMiVfto daania by washing, to Hnae. See Rekch.
SAimn/«AOK, RANiictJrnBB, a beam or bar aeroM a diiflin^

wfaidtMlerBai«lmng. V. Jam« iwn^Mr^^*
Riimr, rfotooa, In kigli apirks, diaorderly.— ^orM. Wild, mad.

At-CWm^^— -Ramtt-^amtt, In great wrath, in a violent passion.

There is a troublesome weed in com fields of thb name,
RaM) a rope. WUbMSM, ralp, 0aJ(. tdp^, funis.
RA]>iBB4>AMe% nearly die siane as the sword-dance of the an-

dent Scandinavians, or as that described by Tacitus among

Ae Oermanii, See a Aili accotmt of it, in the Archseolopa,

VeLXyn.,p.l«5.
RiraoAixtoir, alo«r, worthless ftdlowi i^par^nUy fhe same with

roMoUkm used In HudibtMn
RASH,dfyi as ru^-eom^-'eom m dry In the straw that it frlls

out with handling.
Rasher, a rush. Sax» rcfce, Ewiher-cap^ nuker^ducket, rasher^

wMpy articles made ^rushes by cliildren*
Rasp, raspberry--4x)th the bush and its fruit. ItaL ratpo.
Ravcb, e. to stretdi, to pull asunder. See Rax.
Ratch, 0. to mark with linesv— RAtCH, «. h atraig^t ^16, a ab^

Germ, recht^ stralg|it«
Ratch, «. the strait bourse of a navigable river. The word is

Digitized by VjOOQIC

RAX S43

tiled on til* Tyne, in the ums nenaae as Me^^A m the Themes*
The Jfewcastle keehnen generally call it Rack. .

Ratbeb, To haoe rather is a common Norfb country express
sion, when a preference is deorecU 9ef Dr. Johnson's 6tfa
sense of rMer* The corruption may be thus traced. It is
customafy. to cpntraet hoth / woM, and Ihad^ into Fd^ I
had rather was probably first used as a fidse translation for Fd
rather, written for / pould rqtheri and when / had rather was
once re(pet?ed, to have rather followed of course.

RATHBRUN^i) ibr thie most part. Dur» and Norths

Batub% i^ great liei an abonpnaUe fidsehood* Also, a yery
concave raspr, so thin as, when used» to rattle on the fyee*

RASTENy oii|P l^orthefn prorincial name for the nmi rattui, thp
wcsU4ai>ywn and plundering saiimalf whidi^ fm Gesner obsenres,
is cajled rat^ not only in Germany, but in SptUQy Fran^, Italy^

Rattle, to strike, or chastise. Mere caist.

Rattuspatb, %pdAy^ thoii^tless^ vohitile person*

RAUKy to mark with lines, to scratch. See Ratch«

Ratsl^ to speak in an unconnected m^imsri to waader* Iki^

revelen, to ravCi to talk idly.
Raw, a row of buildings, the «de of a streets Sa^ tmmu
*^ Jtow and Rauff^ Mr. Hodgson observes^ ^ are akin t«> the
French rue; but in the upland part of ihe Northern eountieB
were formerly chiefly confined to those lives of dweUing^hoipses
which lay along tbefell sides, i^nd had between them and the beck,
or river of the daloi the inclosed ground, of which the hojoses
were the 8ev(9ra| messuages. In plater tiines, coal and menu*
&cturing districts abound in R0W9 of vast variety of descrip-
tion a&d dewjgwltion*" v. Bist.af|Corth.PMll»VoltI^
p. 86, n.
Rax, to stretdi, to enki^ge^to rcysdb* Ses* ra?c«iin» ponngfere.
To rax oneself, is to extend the limbs, afUr sleep or long
dtting. As applied to the weadier, to raa out, means to de^
up, when the clouds bq;in to ope0| and expand themselves, so
that the sky is seen.

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£44 READ

Read, Redb, v, to counsel, to adv&e. - Suae radon. * Tent
raeden.

Read, Rede, «. counsel, advice. Sax. n^d!. Teat. raed. ' There
has been handed down to us the barbarous cry of Good
rede, short rede, slea ye the Kshop ;" raised during a general
council or assembly at Gateshead, by the murderers of ]%bop
Walcher, the first Norman prelate who filled the see (^Dur-
ham. V, Surtees' Hist, of Dur., Vol. L, p. 17.

Reade, a calTs stomach, used for rennet. Teut. roode.

Reap, a bundle of com, parcels of which are \md by the reapers
to be gathered into sheaves by the binders in harvest time.
Sax. ripa, ripe. Sc. rip.

Reast, restiveness.— ^Reastv, restive, stubborn. Ital. reHia.
Old Eng. retiie. ^ A retuty horse." Sometimes s^^ied to
a man. ^ He's reasty now."

Reastt, randd; particularly applied to bacon. Skelton uses
the word. In the Ptompt. Parv. it is re$ty. See Reest.

Reave, to take away violently, to bereave, to rob* Sax. reqfUm.
Sw. r^/vo.

Reaver or Raffle, to entangle, to knot confusedly together —
to ravel. Dut. ravelen, ** A reavelled hank"— a twisted ^ein.

Reaver, a plunderer, or freebooter; one who, in the diiys of
good Queen Bess — ^when, in the Border districts, every man's
hand seems to have been set agcdnst his ndghbour— was alter-
nately the robber and the defender of his country — ^who v&e
pillaged fiiend and foe. Sax. reqfere. Not far fi-om Debdon,
in the parish of Rothbury, is the fiunous Reaver* s WeU, where
the noted thieves of old refreshed themselves, when '^Idlwur-
ing in the vocation of thdr fathers." These lUtutrious Per^
wnages^ besides their own names, generally assumed a sort of
itom de guerre, fcom theu* residence, or their exploits ; or had
a sotihriquety to distinguish them firom others of the same'dan.
See Thief and Reaver Bell.

Reckon, to suppose, to conjecture. Local in this sense.

Red, to put in order, to clear, to disentangle. *^ To rW£ up the
house." Su.-Ck>t. redo. Dan. rydde.

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RESP 345

Bra>mN6«coiiB^ a comb for the hair^'^ righting comb. :

Seed, red* Sex. read. Old English, rede,

TELeep, a cutaneoBS eruption. Sax. kreofy scatnes."— Rbefy,
scabby.

Rbek, V, to smoke. Sax. recan. Swed. r^ka. — Reek, s, smoke.

• Sax. rec, Swed. r^Ar.— Rbbk-pbnny, money paid to be per-
mitted to have fire, hearth-money — a modus paid to the clergy
in many parts of Northumberland and Durham^ Bee Tom-
lins' Law Diet., smoke'sUver,

Rkk, a term for money — that which makes the pot to boil and

' the chimney to tmoke; but probably that which is the princi-
pal subject of reckomng,

Reeking-croos, a sent of crane or crook over the fire to support
boUers exposed to the reek or smoke.

Reest, rust. Teut. roe$t, — Reestt, rusty. Teut. roestigk,

Reet,' V,- to make right, to do justice to. — Reet is also used,
both as a substantive and an adjective, for right

Rbet, rightf sane in mind.^NoT-REET, not right, not in the ex-
ercise of sound reason. Germ, mcht recht.

Rbet, a wright, or carpenter. Sax. wryhta, opifex.

Reins, Reinds, balks or portions of grass land in arable fields—
the furrows of a field. Germ, reihen, rows.

Rench, to rinse. Isl. hreinsa, to make clean. Dan« rense, to
clean. Swed. retua, to cleanse.

Render, to separate, to melt down, to dissolve any thing fat by
the heat of the fire. V. Wilbraham.

Rbnegate, a rq)robate. Span, renegade, an apostate, qui fidem
renegat, . It is a genuine old word.

A false knight, and a renegate.

Gower, Confestio Amantit,

RENTTywell shapen; spoken of horses or homed cattle.

Respectively, for respectfidfy. I had a correspondent — by no
means deficient in learning — ^who invariably subscribed himself
— ** yours retpecHvefy.^* . He, perhaps, relied on the authority

V of Shakspeare, and Beaumont and Fletcher* >

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U& RHEU

Rhkcmatis, tlie Tu^gn^ wosd Bat tlie Thiartiiatifiin>

RicB, brushwood for the porpoee of hetlging. lat. ht^ 6a.*

Got and Swed. rti« Dan, riu . Qerm* neif .
RiDDLEy a coane sieve'witfa large interstices; much used about
fiirm-honses. Sax, hriddtL Welsh. rMdylL The vulgar, in
many parts, have an abominable practice of unng a rid^ amd
a pair of theart in (fivination. If they have bad miy thing
stolen from them, the riddle and shears are sure to be resorted
to. A similar mode of discovering tluevest or others suspect-
ed of any crime, prevailed among the Greeks, Y, Patterns
Gr, Antiq., Vol, L, p. 352. In Northumberland young peo-
ple turn the riddle for the purpose of amusing themselves with
the foolish idea of raising thdr lovers. It is done betwe^
two open doors at midnight and in the dark.
Ride, to rob; or rather to go out on horsdback for such a pur-
pose, A Border word, ** A saying is recorded of a mother
to her son (which is now become proverbial) lUde^ Row^,
hwtglCi t" the pot; that is, the last piece of beef was in the
pot, and therefore it was high toe for him to go and fetch
more." Nicolson and Bum's Hist, of West, and Cumb, VoL
IL, p. 46«.
Rider, a moss-trooper, or robber on the Borders*
RiDiHG, a term among the Borderers for making ineursiona on
the opposite country. See Introduction to the Border Anti-
quities of England and Scotland, p. czxL
Riding, a division or third part of a county; peculiar to York-
shire. Sax. ihrUungey tertia pars provindas alicujus. Express
mention is made of this ancient partition in the laws of
Edward the Confessor, cap. 34, In those early days, appesis
were made to the Riding in such causes as could not be de-
termined in the Wapentake court.
RiDiNG*PORoTiiB-KAii«, 8 marriage ceremony^ See Pudb^au,
RiDiNO-TBB-STAKo, a burlesque punidmieiit. See Bvams*
Ripe, abounding, common, prevalent Sax. rtgf* Teiit itjf.
8wed. rtf. Dr. Johnson ,is mistaken in confining the use of
this word to epidemical dlstempelrs ; and Archdeacon Sares

Digitized by VjOOQIC

HIM «47

(who points out Mr. Dibdin's yery enoaeouB explaiiatsMi} is
equally in error in thinkiiig it obsolete.

There is a bri^, how man j sports are rift.

Shak. Midttm. Nighft Dream.

This reading occurs in most of the old editions — I beliere

in dl but one. The modem editors, however, without any

sufficient reason, read ripe.
HiFfi, also means apt, ready, quick to learn.
Riff-raff, a common alliterative term of reproach— the rabble,

or mere canmlle. Dan. riptraps, the dregs of the people.
BiFT, D. to belch. From Dan. rcehe; and not rptever, as given

by Dr. Jamieson, who appears to have been misled by Skin-

nw.--*RlFr, s» an eructation. Dan. raeben, belching.
Rift, v. to plough out grass land. Su.-Got. rffwth Sw. r^fva*
Rig, a female light in her carriage, a wanton.
Big, a Hdge, an ^ninence. Sax, hricg. Isl, hriggr, Su.-Got.

rygg, dorsum, ^* Migge of land, agg^/' occurs in Prompt.

Parv,
B|G-AND-FUR, ridge and furrow. Also ribbed; as n pfur of njg*

andrfur stockmgs.
Bio, among quadrupeds, to perform the act of supersaliency ofUy,

to back. Sax. hricgf dorsum. Hence, Riggot, or Riggblt,

a male animal imperfectly emasculate^^very troublesome to

the female.
Biggin, the ridge of a house. Sax. Aricg, fasti^um. To ride

the riggin is a Northern phrase denoting excessive intimacy.
BlGGiN-tBBit, the beam along the roof of a building.
Rile, to render turbid, to vex, to disturb. Y. Moor.
Rim, BcxiiT^BiM, the peritoneum, or membrane inclosing the in^

testines, ^ Mind dinna brutt your beUywrinC^'-^A caution

among th^ vulgar in Northumberland*

For I will fetch thy Hot out at thy throat.
In drops of crimson blood.--^AaXp. Hen. V.

The original reading, says Kares, is rymmCi which Capell,

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' judging fropa the mam olject of the speaker, boldly pronofini*
ced to signify money ; others have wished to read lyfio, but
that term is probably not of such antiquity : and the coojec-
ture supposes the original word to be printed rym, which it is
not. Hstol, with a yery vague notion of the anatomical
meaning of tymrne^ seems to use it in a general way for any
part of the intestines ; his object bdng to terrify his prisoner.
It may be further stated, that rimburtin is a common term on
the Borders of North* for a rupture of the abdominal muscles^
to which horses and cows are subject.

Rind, to melt or dissolve tallow or fat. Y. Jamieson.

RiNE, Rind, frozen dew, hoar frost. A corruption of rime ; from
Sax. and Isl. hrim.

Rip, a profligate. Half of Grerm; ripps^rapps. In fashionable
cant^for all ranks have their cant — demirep is one of dubious,
or Ao^r^utation.

Ripe, to search, to steal privately, to plunder. Sax. hrypan^
dissuere. "To ripe for stones in the foundation of an old
wall."—" She r^ed my pockets."—" He riped the nest."

Ripple, to clean ; applied to flax. Su.-Got. repa lin, linum vel-
lere. Teut. repen^ stringere semen lini.

RiTLiMo, the smallest and last hatched youngling.— Zjam?. See

DoWPY.

Rive, v. to tear membrane from membrane, to eat voraciously
without knife or fork. " See how he's riving and eating."'

Rive, to separate into parts by applying force to. each side.
Dan. rive, to tear or rend in pieces. Swed. rifva. There is
a difference between riving and fp^t^n^- the hands rive, a
wedge splits.

Rive, s, a rent or tear. The very term occurs in Isl. n/f.'

Roan-tree, Rotne-tree, the mountain ash. See Roun-trbb.

Robin, the popular name of the ruddock or red-breast. The
innocence, tameness, and its approach in a season when its
sustenance is precarious, may be the reason that this bird is
usually so much pitied and respected. The author of the old
ballad of The Children in the. Wood — a story witli, which our

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ROSS did

earfiest literary reooUections are assodaled-'-HMleeted the fed-
breast as an object of sympathy, no dottbt for the cauaes kere
dted ; but I am infomied that about Heworth, near Newcastle,
it is looked upon as a Inrd of bad omen. I am also told that
among the lower classes in Northumberland and Scotland, it
IS conffldered the harbinger of death. This is the more re-
markablci because its general &miliarity and confiding man-
ners, as observed liy Mr. Selby, have procured for it an
appellation of endearment in most of the countariea that it
inhabits.

RoGGUBi, to shake, to jumUe. A variation of wriggle.

Roister, to behave turbulently, to make a great noises to in<h]^
in rough mirth and jollity.

BoisTERSR, a turbulent, swaggaring, and ttnc<Mitrou]able person.
Junms refers to Isl. hriiter^ a violent man ; but I am indined,
with Dr. Jamieson, to look to Barb. Lat. RfutarUy the same
with RfdarU (old Tr. BotUiersy^&ee-booters who committed
great devastation in France, in the eleventh century. JRiiptam
and Rtdaru were names given to the sti^ndiary troops (per-
haps some of the same sort of brigands) employed by King
John in his exterminating expedition into the Ncnrdiem parts
of the kingdom — ^where the castles, towns, and villages were
^ven to the flames by that wicked and pusillanimous monarchy
and die mis^tible inhabitants abandoned to the murdeixms
cruelty of his rapacious followers, without respect of age or
sex, rank or profession. The epithet Royterer, or Roysterer,
was bestowed on the cavaliers by the puritanical party in the
accounts of the civil wars of a subsequent period.

Rook, Roue, a mist, or fog. Teut. roodt, vapor ^—RooKir,
RouKT, misly, damp, foggy. Old £ng. r^,

Roop, or Roup, a hoarseness. Isl. kroop^ vodferado. Roopr,
or RooPT, hoarse; as with a cold.

Roorr, coarse, or over rank; said of grass or com when in that
state. Old Bag. royluh, wild, irr^vlar. See Routh.

Ross^ to heat, to roast, to bask over a fire until what is below

Kk

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250 ROSS

the skin is ready to exade— the same idea as rosm, — Ross^il-
LBD, decayed; as a rosseUed apple.

RossEL, rosin. ^ Rossel andpicl^* — rosin and pitch.

Rou, cold, bleak and damp ; espedally as applied to a place, or
to the weather— rato. Sax. hreaw. Germ, roh, rauh.

RouN-TREE, or Rowan-tree, the mountain ash, or wUch-wood —
a tree of high consideration in the North, and considered by
the superstitious peasantry of wonderful efficacy in depriving
witches of their infernal power. This notion has been handed
down to us firom early antiquity«*perhaps from the Druids.
Skinner is uncertain whether the tree may not have recdv-
ed its name from the colour called roan; but, as observ-
ed by Dr. Jamieson, the term is Gothic — Su.-Got. ronn^ runrij
sorfous aucuparia. Dan. rorme. Ihre conjectures, with great
probability, diat the etymon may be from runay incantation ;
because of the use made of it in magical arts. Mr. Thomson
adds Welsh, rAin, mystery, sorcery, religion, and apparently
used in the Runic ceremonies.

In my plume is seen the holly green.

With the leaves of rowan tree.
And my casque of sand, by a mermaid*s hand.

Was formed beneath the sea.— 7^ Court ofKeddar.

Rout, Rouoht, or Rowt, to make a bellowing noise, to roar.
Also to grunt, to snore. Sax. hrutan.

The wench rotOc^h eke par compagnic^CAauc^r.

Routh, plenty, abundance; especially applied to rank grass or
com. V. Jamieson.

Routing, or Rouohting, the lowing or bellowing of an ox. In
Ingram parish, a wild part of Northumberland, there is a place
called the RoughHng Xtnn— deriving its name, no doubt, from
the great noise made by the &11 of the water after heavy rains.

RowLBY-POWLEY, a sort of childish game at fairs and races.

RoYALOAK-DAY (the 29th of May), the restoration of King
Charles 11. ; in coounemoration of which it is customary for

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RUM 251

the common people, in nmiy parts of the North, to wear oak
leaves in their hats, and also to place them on their horses'
heads. Formerly, in Newcfiatle,

When civil dudgeon finrt; grew high.

And men fell out thej knew not whjf^'Hudibnu,

the boys had a taunting rhyme, with which they used to insult
such persons as were not decorated with this remembrance of
the facetious monarch;

" Royal oak

" The whigs to provoke."

It was not, however, to be expected that this sarcastic ebul-
lition of party-spirit should escape the retort courteous. The
contemptuous reply was,

" Plane-tree leaves ;

«< The church-folk are thieves."

Ruck, a rick of com or hay. — North. A heap, or large quan-
tity.— For*, and -La»<?. Su.-Got. rd>^. V. Ihre.

RuD, ruddle for marking sheep. Sax. rudu, rubor* See Kjcbl.

Rdddily, the vulgar pronunciation of readily.

Ruddy, the Northern word ftw ready. ** Rud^ money.**

RuE*BARGAiN, something given to be off an agreeinent--« beigain
repented of.

Rug, to pull hastUy or roughly. Teut. rucken, detrahere. —
Ru66iNG-AND-RiviN6, pulling and tearing with force.

Ruinated, reduced to ruin, ruinous. Pc^e erroneously consi-
dered this word, which is in common use in the North, as pe-
culiar to Londoners.

RuLE-o'-THUMB, gucss work. Primarily the measuring of inches
by the thumb; but as this is at best an inaccurate mode, it
comes to mean— no rule at all.

Rum, a very common North country word for any thing odd or
queer — a comical person, for instance, being called a rum stkk.
May not Dr. Johnson's rum parson be what is called a hackney
parson, and come from Germ, rum, which is from herum,

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U» RUMB

tbtmt^ttBk&nmiau/erkhingBbotid? Menm pmnony or rmn
paraoiiy may, therefore, be a vagabond parson.
RuMBUsncALy rude, noisy, overbearing, tutbulent
RvM-ovifpnous, pompons, forward, violent, bold, nuh.
'RjmmEL-GvmaoK, the same as Guhbhon. Sc. rumgumptiotu
Rumpus, a great noise, a disturbance, an uproar. V. Jennmgs.
Run awat Dr. Bocamki, a proverbial expression, fiuniliar in the
county of Durham, near the river Tees — said to have origi-
nated in the tr^idation and sudden ffi^t of Dr. Balcanquall,
Dean of Duriuun, a Scotchman, who was peculiarly obnoxious
to his countrymen, on account of having penned the King's
declaration against the Covenanters. V. Surtees' JHaU of
Dur.y YoL L, p. xcvL
Rung, a spoke, tiie stq[> or round of a ladder. MGe.-Grot. hrung,
viiga. It Is also a name for a cudgel, or walking-staff.

Be sure ye dinna quit the grip

O* ilka joy while ye are young,
Before auld age your vitals nip,

And lay ye twa&ld owre a rvng. — Oid Scots Song.

RuNXLE, to crease, to crumple, to wrinkle. Sax. wrwdiaiu

Runnel, pollard wood. Perhaps from rtatmng up apace.

Bunt, an of^robrious designation for an old woman. IsL hrund^
mulier. V. Jam. Supp.

Runt, the hardened stalk or stem of a plant* ^ A kail'runl"

Runt, a Scotch ox— -also a jocular designation for a person of a
strong though low stature. ** A runt of a fellow.'* Germ.
rmdf an ox or cow ; but, JiguraHvefy^ a dull-pated, stupid fel-
low. Teut. rund,

RusH-BBARiNO, Collecting rushes to strew in the parish church —
s rural feast or wake, now become nearly obsolete. See Crav.
Gloss, and Brand's Pop. Antiq., Vol. I., p. 436.

Rut, for root. So pronounced in the North.

RoTTUNGi a noise occasioned by difficulty in breathing. Teut.
toteien, nmrmurare. The dead ruttle, a particular kind of
noise made in res{Mring by a person in the extremity of sick-

Digitized by VjOOQIC

iid«l^ 18 stiU ccmsi<kred in the North as an omen of 6Mh.
Leviiras Leranius (Occult Mingles of Nature^ Lib. IL, Ch. 15,)
is very learned on this subject.
BuzE, to extol, to boasty to magnify in narratbn— -to raiue, or
raise, Isl. rausoy multa effutire. Dan. rotey to praise. Cor-
nish, r6i, biBggii^. Hence, perhaps, roozevf or router^ a great
untruth.

SACK-ANi>*SEAM-itOAD, a hoTse road-^properly a pack-horse road
over moors. V . Lye, vo. warn.

Sackless, 'Simple, woJc, helpless, innocent. Dr. Wlllan consi-
ders that this epithet must have originated after the introduce
tion of the favourite beverage, sack and sugar; but the word
(which is old in our language, and often occurs in the Border
Laws) may evidently be traced to Sax. iocleas, quietus. Isl.
MklatUy innocens. Swed. saklds, exempt from punishment.

Sad, heavy, as contrary to light — stiff; applied to a pudding,, or
to bread when the yeast has had no effect

Sab, See, Sbea, so. — Saebetide, Sebabetide, if so be.

Safe, a. sure, certain. '^ He's safe to be hanged."

Saim, hog's-iat, goose*grease* Welsh, saim. Sax. seme, Shak-
apeare, and writers of his day, use team, which is still the
Scottish word.

Saint Gdthbbbt's Duck, the eider duck; or great black and
white duck. Anas moUisHnuu-^JAaoBBua, These interesting
searlnrds are found on most of the Fame Ishmds on the coast
of Northumberland, the only places in England where they
are known to incubate. They are now, however, almost ex-
tinct, in consequence of the wanton cruelty of those who visit
the islands during the breeding season* Their feathers are
renwricably soft, and of great value. The popular name is
obvKHudy connected with the celebrated Saint and Patron of

Digitized by VjOOQIC

HU SAIN

Duriiam; -who, Kgwdlwa of all earthly. pomp and yanity,
, resigned the splendour and magnificence of an efMsoopel sta-
tion, for the purity of an hermetkal life^ Retiring to a hum-
ble cell in one of these desolate spots — as yet unmarked by
the habitation of man,— -or, as a vdl known legend expresses
it, ** as Yoide of men, as full of denlls**— 4ie commenced a
mode of living extremely austere, forcing the barren aoA to
yield him sustenance by the labour of his own hands.
Saint Cuthbbbt's Beads, a name given to the Encrkuies which
are found in great abundance among the rocks at Holy Maad,
and sold to strangers as the attributed woiimanship of the
Saint. According to the popular tradition, this holy nian
often visits the shore of Lindisfame in the night; and sitting
on one rock, uses another as his anvil, on which he foiges
and ftshions these beads.

Saint Cuthberi sits, and toils to frame
The sea-born heads that bear his name.

iSicoWV Manmom,

Saint Cotbbebt's Patrimont, an appeUation for all the land
between the waters of Tyne and Tees, winch it is recorded was
conferred upon the church, for the sake of her tutelary Saint
—eminently distinguished certainly for his exalted piety; but
above all for the miraculous powers with which he was be*
lieved to be invested, and of which the wily monks never
failed to avail themselves as the best means of enriching flieir
cofiers.

Saint John's Nut, a double nut«— Saint IMUjrt's Kdt, a triple
nut. I know not why so called.

Saint Swithin's Day, the 15th of July. I introduce this term
for the purpose of remarking, that almost all the vulgar, but

• more espedally elderly females, place great confidence in the
prediction that if it rain on this critical day, not one of the
next forty wUl be wholly free fix>m the Saint's influence over
the humid department of the firmament. The lower orders

. cling to their ancient notions aud legends with much more

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SARE 255

tenacity than their betters ; superstitioii being always powerful
in proportion to the ignorance of its professors. The origin
of this particular prognostication is variously deduced. See
Brand's Pop. Antiq., Vol. I., p. 271 ; and Nares' Glossary.

Sair. See Sare. See, also, the example under Ken.

Sairt, poor, pitiable, helpless. Sax. «<prt, sarig, sorry, sad.

Saix, a common vulgarism for shall. V. Crav. Gloss, sal,

Sallt, to move or run from side to side ; as is customary with
the persons on board of a ship after she is launched. I am
unable to ofier any etymology, unless it be Fr. Millir, to leap.-

Salt, for saltcellar. Our old word was seder, Fr. saliere,

Samcast, same cast, two ridges ploughed together. Ileferrible
to Grerm. sammeln, to gather; zusammen, together.

Samfleth, a sampler. That which gives a Bomi^le—^amplethi
v. Sufiblk words. The ingenious author is mistaken in think-
ing that samplers are not still worked.

Sanded, short-sighted — as if the eyes were full of sand. Sand-
bUnd is an old term for imperfect sight.

Sandgate-gity, a burlesque name for Sandgate, Newcastle; a
place of great antiquity, but described by a local poet as

• The devil's besom sure.

With which oft times he sweeps the floor.

Sandoatb-battle, a peculiar step in vulgar dancing, consisting
of a quick and violent beating of the toes on the floor.

Sandgate-rino, a particular mode of lighting a tobacco .pipe,
which I am unable to describe.

Sang, a song. Pure Saxon. It is the same in Teut. and
Germ.

Sang ! My Sangs ! Bt my Sang ! frequent exclamations, ge-
nerally implying a threat — equivalent to 'sblood, or by my
blood. Fr. sang,

Sanging-eather, the large dragon fly. See Fleeing-eather.

Sapscuix, a simple, foolish fellow — a blockheaicL

Sare, sore, painftil. Sax. sar. Su.-Got. saar. Sc. sair. —
Sab&hebd, sore head, the head ache.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

fM SAttB

Sare, very mueh, greatly^ inteoMly. Tcut Mfr. Germ. sekr.
" &rtf hadden'* — (sore holdeii>-very much distressed by pun
or sickness.

Sabk, a shirt— 4ometiine8 a shift. Sax. $yr€* Su.-Got. s^erk.
See a eiirious qootation firom Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence
Dispbiyed, in Boucher, vo. ageeg and Kelly's Scottish Fto-
verbs, p. 139, 140.

Sastibs, certunly, in good truth. Spenser and other early poets
use cerlet,

Sabtin, sure, positive, certfun.--*SABTiNLY, certaiidy.

Sattjle, to settle. This pronunciation is conforsaable to the
Saxon origin of the word. In Pdrs Pioughmmi it is sahile.

Sauce, insolence of speech, iniperdnence'*'iatidiief««

Sauce, vegetables. An ancient use of the word.

Saugh, the sallow; a species of willow. Sax. sM. Ir. saieog.
Many of the common people imagine this to be the real Palm-
tree, branches of which were strewed by the multitude in com-
memoration of our Saviour's triumphal entry into Jerusalem ;
and seldom omit to gather its flowers or buds, early in the
morning of Palm-Sunday. With these flowers they decorate
small pieces of wood formed into crosses, called Palm-crosses,
which are stuck up or suspended in their houses.

Saul, the soul. Pure Saxon ; and the ancient mode of writing
the word. ** By Christe's saule," Chaucer.

Saul, the solid substance in the inside of a covered button. Pr.
saottl, soul, a filling.

Saut, Sote, salt. Sax. sealt. Teut. said, iout. In the pro-
nunciation of many of the provincial dialects of the North, the
sound of the / is omitted.— SAur-mT, a salt-box of a peculiar
formation ; often found in the houses of old formers.

Saveucxs, an excrescence from the brier, placed by boys in their
coat cufis, as a charm, to prevent a flogging. In Durham it is
called TouiiY-SAVELiCKS.

Saw, to sow. M€e.-Got. saian. Sax. sawan* Suw-Got. sd.
Germ. men.

Sawney, a silly, stupid fellow— a sarcastic designation for a na-
tive of Scotland.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SCAL 257

Sat, authority, ioilueiice, sway. ** She has all the Mjy.^
ScABT, ScABiE, mean, paltry, shabby. Lat. seabiei.
Scad, to scald. — Scadding of Pbas, a custom in the North of
bdling the common grey peas in the pods, in a green state,
and eating them with butter and salt. The company often
pelt each' other with the ftcwkir, or husks; and the entertain-
ment is sometimes in consequence called pem and ipori,
Grose mentions that a bean^ shell and all, is put into one of
the pea-pods; and that whoever gets this bean is to be first
married. Dr. Jamieson views this custom as haying the same
origin as the Kmg of Bane^ in Scotland.
Scale, to spread alnroad, to separate, to divide. Sax. teylatu

I shall tell you
A pretty tale; it may be, you have heard it;
But, since it serves my purpose, I will venture
To tcai^t a little more.— ^S^oXr. Coriolanut,

Nearly all the commentators have mistaken the meanmg o£to
scak^t I am quite satisfied that it was the author's intention
to have the tale spread a little more minutely; or, as Home
Tooke better expresses it, to have it dhided into more parti-
culars and d^^rees; told more circumstantially and at length.
If Archdeacon Nares, to borrow his own language, will
** wdgh as in scales, to estimate aright," Mr; Lambe's obser-
vations on this passage, and on the means of acquiring a com-
petent knowledge of the old English tongue (Notes on the
Batde of Floddon), I entertain a hope tiiat the learned author
of the daborate and valuable Glossary may not be indisposed
to alter, in more respects than one, die article. To Scale,
in a future edition.

Scale, to disperse. The church is scaled; so is a school. It
is a very common expression, in this sense, in the neighbour-
hood of Alnwick. Hence, to Scale Land, to break up clots
of mtoure, mole hills, &c., and to spread them about the field.
Scale, also means, to shed, to spill, to scatter.

ScALE-DiSH, a thin dish used in the dairy for skimming milk.

Ll

Digitized by VjOOQIC

2d8 SCAL

ScALLioNSy a punishment among boyv-^-a good drubbing.

Scam, Scaum, to bespatter, to stain, to discolour.

Scamp, a mean rascal, a fellow deroid of honour and principle.
Properly a runaway 5 from Ital. icampare.

ScANTisH, Scarce. — Scantly, scarcely. ■•

Scar, Skar, a bare and broken rock on the. side of a mountain,
or in the high.bank of a river. Su.-Got. $lusr, rupes.

ScARN, dung of cattle. Su.-Got. «^am, stercus. Sax. sceam.
Dan. skam,

ScART, V. to scratch. — Scart, $, a scratch. See Scrat.

Scathe, loss, spo2, damage. Pure Saxon. Dan. shade.

Scatter-brained, weak, giddy, thoughtless, light-headed.

Sconce, a seat at one side of the fire-place in the old lai^ open
chimney — a short partition near the fire upon which all the
bright utensils in a cottage are si^pended. An amateur of
the Italian language derives the word from seonnessa [s^g^a],
an insulated or separate seat. I should prefer Germ, ichanze,
' a defence, a screen.

Sconce, a beating about the head — sometimes the head itself. .

Scooter, a syringe. Shooter^ periit^s, would be more correct.
Sc. sfyier, firom ski^tef to eject forcibly.

Scotch and English, an amusement similar to Steai^t-
CLOTHBs; winch see. The game seems evidently to have
had its origin and name from the inroads of the Scotch and
English in " times of old" — the language used on the occa-
sion, conasting, in a great measure, of the terms of reproach
common among the Borderers during their pilfering warfare.

Sgotch-fiddle, a mutical instrument of a peculiar nature ; for
an amusing description of which I rrfer the reader to the new
edit, of the Crav. Gloss, yo. Fiddle.

Scotch-mist, a small soaking rain— such as will wet an English'
man to the skin. Scotch mists, like Scotchmen, are prover-
bial for their penetration. .

Scout, a high rock, or large projecting ridge. Sax. sceotanj to
shoot out.

ScowDER, to mismanage any thing in cooking, to scorch it.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SCRU 259

Grose hte Mcourdef^d, Overheated with working; perhaps only
a figurative sense of the word. V. Jamieson.
t ScRAB» a wild apple— the crab. — Scvlab^reb, a crab-ttree.

ScRAFPLE, V, to scramble^ to climb up by the help of the hands.

Wey hinny, says aw, we've a Shot-Tower s^ hee.
That biv it ye might tcraffle to Heaven ;

And If on Saint Nicholas' ye once cus an ee,
Ye'd crack ont as lang as ye're livin.

Song, Canny Newqattel

ScBAFFU^ <• a scramble, or eager content for any thing.
ScRAFFLB, to be assiduousIy industrious, to 8truggle.-^ScRAFF-

LIN6, working hard to obtain a livelihood.
ScBANCHy to grind any hard or crackling substance between the

teeth. Dut. schranttetu Dr. Johnson says, the Scots retain

it. So do the people in the North of England, .
ScaANCHUM, thin wafery gingerbread; so called fix>m the sound

when eaten — scranched.
ScRANNT, thin, meagre. Su.-Got. skrinnt macer, gradlis. San.

^ra»/efs, weak, sickly, infirm*
ScRAT, ScRAUT, V. to scratch. Anglo-Norman, escrat» Swed.

hraUa* — ScRAT, «. a scratch — the itch. Webh, cracky scabies ;

and Ir. scraw^ scurfy seem allied.
J SoRAT» an hermaphrodite. Sax. *critta, V. Todd's Johnson.

, ScBBED, a rent or tear — a shred or fragment. Sax. screade,

, Teut. jcAroocfe'.— Screed, is also used for a border; as, a cop-

icrp^d,
ScRiBEy to write. Lat. scribere. — Scribe of a pen, a letter.
ScRUiHAGE, a. battle, an aigument, an overthrow— -a skirmish.

The word was formerly written skaramouche.
Scrimp, v. to spare, to scant. Teut. krimpen, contrahere. —

ScRiifF, a. short, scanty, little.
ScRoo, a stunted bush or shrub. Sax. scroby frutex.— Scroggy,

full of old stunted trees or bushes.
Scrounge, or Scrunge, to crowd, to squeeze. See Skreenge.
ScRUDGB, V. to crowd thickly together, to squeeze.— Scrudgb, s.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

m SCRU

a crowd, a sqneeie. On the laying of thefoundation-Btoiie of
the New Library of the Literary and Philosophical Sodety,
by the Duke of Susflex, in 1 822, there was the greatest semdge
ever remembered in Newcastle.

ScBUFP, scm£ A transpodtion of letters very common.

ScRUMTV, short, meagre, stunted. See Scrannt.

ScuDDiCK, the lowest measure of value. ,Perhi^ from sceia,
tceata, a small coin among the Saxons; or from some other
denomination of money.

ScvFF, the hinder part o£ the neck. V. WiXb, sh^.

SccG, to hide, to shade. See Skug.

Scuir, to strike a person on the mouth. A low wcnrd.

ScuMFisH, to smother, to 8ufR>cate with smoke. Wood embers,
the snuffing of a candle, sulphur, &c. have scum/itking effluvia
in dose rooms. Ital. sconfiggere^ to discomfit.

Scunner, to fed disgust, to loathe — ^to shy, as a horse in har-
ness. It is also, figurativdy, implied to a man whose courage
isnotat ** the stickmg place." Sax. Mwrnaii, to fear, to ahhor,
to shun.

Sbar, #. autumn — the time of the drying and withering of leaves.
Sax. searian, to nip, or dry. — Skab, a, dry, of a yellow hue;
opposed to green.

I have liv'd long enough ; my way oftife

Is fidl'n into the sear^ the yellow lea£— ilfocfid^

Dr. Johnson and some other of die commentators object to
way of life, and wish to substitute May; but I must confess
that I am not convinced by their arguments.
Seavb, a rush. — Seavv, oveigrown with rushes^ " Setny

ground."
Sbck, the Northern word for a sack. ** A ted of flour."
Seck, Seek, provincial pronundations of such. See Sick.
Secket, a term of contempt to a child. See Seoiqte, or Sag-
kite.
Seed, saw. Universal among the vulgar. ^ Aw seed it."
Seeing-glass, a mirror, or lo<jking-g\as8. Isl. nkutrgier, specu-

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SBT Ml

• liim« The term often occurs ia old inveDtarief of Siousdiold
furniture.

SEEK) sick. Sax. seoc, • Old Eng. seke, as oscd by Chaucer.

Seekenino, sickefdngy the period of confinement at child-tnrth.

Seer, several, divers. Su.-Got. saer, an adverb denoting sepa-
ration. Ihre. '^ They are gone «eer ways."

Seer, for sure. This is also the pronimciation of Aberdeenshire.

See-saw, a sort of swing — ^from its reciprocating motion. FV.
ci-fa. V. Brand s Pop. Antiq., Vol. IL, p. 304.

Seestah, seest thou. Also so pronounced in Aberdeenshire.

Seg, a sedge ; according to the Saxon form — secg» ^ Segge or
star.. Carix." Prompt. Parv.

Seo, Sbog, a bull castrated when full grown. V. Jaraieson.

Se6, v. to hang heavily down. Sax. sigan, to sag, or swag.

Seggino, the heavy laborious walking of a person of unwieldy
corpulence. ^ What a tegging gait he has."

Segkite, or Sagkite, a term applied to a young person who is
overgrown and not easRy satisfied with food. From <eg and
kUe.

Sbsll, pron&ufh self-<*used in compounds of in^ietf, hisseU, keriell,
ifourselL Plural sdU, for selves.

Sehuant, slender, weak, thin, supple, active.

Sempub, ordinary, vulgar — nmple; applied to a person of igno-
ble birth. ^ Gentle and sempl/* '•^Yugh and low.

Sen, Sin, Syne, since. V. Jam. sen, — Sen-syne, Sin-stbte,
since then. ** Its lang gyne, sen he left us."

Seng, shelter ; as the seng of a hedge. Dan. seng, a bed.

Sess-pool, an excavation in the ground for receiving foul water.
I do not find the word in any Dictionary, though it is in use
by architects. V. Laing's Custom House Plans. Sus-pool
occurs in Forster on Atmospheric Phoenomena. Perhaps it
is sous-pool^^pool below the surface; or it may have been
adopted fix>m Lat. cedo, cessiy &c to settle down.

Set, disposal. *' She has made a pretty set of herself."

Set, a permanent deflection, or settUng of a railway or machinery.

Set, to propel, to push forward; as $ettiHg a keel. Also, to

Digitized by VjOOQIC

eeis SET-D

accompany; as in a common expresaion-r'' Set vae tibU on
the road." Bit^ however, is not more mis^plied in the North
than it is in some ports of the South.

Set-down, a powerful rebuke or reprdienaon. V. Todd's
Johnson.

Setten, the old participle of set, is still used colloquially by the
cooHnoD people; and so are hkten^ ietten, puUen, and many
others.

Sbtten-on, short. in growth, ill thriven; said of feeble, diminu-
tive children. The term is also Implied to what is slightly burnt
in a pan.

Settle, a seat. Sax. $eUl^ seti, sedes, sella. Our Saxon ances-
tors had their high settle, or king's settle; the bishop's settle,
or. see; and the dom settle, or court of justice. In their
Psalter, puUtshed by Spehnan, in 1640, thrymsetle is used for
our ** seaf* of the scornful.

Set-to, an ai^gument, a strong contest, a warm debate.

Set-up, a verb expressive of contempt for a person, assuming a
rank, or receiving a distuiction, which is viewed as unsuitable
to his or her station or merit. ** She rides in a coach— 4^
her up, indeed !" V. Jam. Supp.

Seugh, a wet ditch ; such as that cut of which the contents of a
sod dike have been cut— any wateiy or boggy place— *a sotigh,
V. Jamieson, seuch,

,Shab-off, Shab-away, to sneak away. Grerm. schahen, to scrape
off; and by some gradations of meaning used with the prepo-
sition and in the imperative mood, schab ah, sneak away.

Shab-rag, a mean person. — Shag-rag, is identical.

Shack, Shak, to shed, or shake; as com in harvest time.

Shack-fobk, Shak-fork, a pitch-fork-— a shake-fork.

Shackle, an iron loop moving on a bolt. Teut. schaeckeL

Shackle, the wrist. Sc shackle^nme, the wrist-bone.

Shaffle, to move with an awkward or irregular gait; to hobble.
A corruption of #At<^.

Shag-hat, a hat made very long in the down; much worn by
pitmen and keelmen in the environs of Newcastle. .

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SHAR ^63

Shakes^ not much worth. *' They are no great thakei*-^^tde
can be said in commendation of them.

Shale, v. to peel, to shell. Sax. atcedUan, eucUian. See Shill.

Shale, «• alum ore, — any other loose substance from a mine or
quarry. The characteristic is the slaty,' or laminated appear-
ance. V. Tooke, Vol. II., p. 233.

Shallt-wally, a ngn of contempt — thallow brained*

Bham, shame. Sax. sceam. — Shamfaced, bashful — shamefaced.
Sax. icamfiest.

Sham-a-stbrne, a vulgar phrase, equivalent to not one. This
may possibly serve to explain an obscure and difficult passage
in the fine old heroic ballad o^ Chevy Chase^ Fit. S.

Thorowe ryche male and myne-ye-ple
Many, tteme the stroke downe streght.

Which may be read, — Mr. Lambe says — ^tfaey struck down

straight nuunf a one^ through rich coat of mail and many folds.
Shaivdt, wild, frolicksome. V. Suffolk Words, shanny,
Shangy, Coally-shangy, Cullby-shangy, a row; a tumult, a

riot. V. Jam. Supp. shangie.
Shank, the projecting point of a hill— joining it with the plain.
Shanks, the 1^. — Shank's-nagy, or Shanky's-nagy, the feet

— ^ Adam's ten-toed machine"— if I may quote the term.

And ay until the day he died.

He rade on good sTianks nagy,^RiUon, Scotch Songt,

Shanty, gay, showy, flaunting. Perhaps, as suggested by Mr.

Todd, a corruption oijanty,
Shap, Shape, to begin, to set about any thing, to have a pro- .

mising appearance. Teut. gchqffeny agere, negotiari. V.

Wilb. ^hape,
Shabd, a broken piece of any britde or frag^e substance. Sax.

sceardy fragmen — ^that which is shared, separated, or divided.

Within my recollection, many of the common people, in the

lower parts of Newcasde, used to resort to the Quayside and

other places, where tiiey gathered up coals with the half of a

Digitized by VjOOQIC

264 SHAR

wooden dish, caiHed a shard, I have been told that it was not
unusual for two of them to purchase a new dish, and split it
for the purpose of making these shards. Shard is also a North
country word for the shelly or hard outward corering of the
tribe of insects denominated Coleoptera. The derivation of
sheU itself, indeed, is analogous. V. Todce.

Often, to our comfort, shall we find
The »fuirded beetle in a safer hold
Than is the full-wing*d eagle.— iSftoX:. Cynibdme.

Ere, to black Hecate's summons.
The shard'bome beetle, with his drowsy hums,
Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be done
A deed of dreadiiil note— iS%aft. Madteih.

These expressions of our dramatist~«Aar<i^ beetle, and shard-
borne beetle-^we as correct as they are poetical. Dr. John-
son's igaonnce of the latter meaning of the word completely
misled him in his interpretation. His error, however, is not
overlooked by the learned and indefatigaUe Mr. Todd,

Shaken, dung of cattle. See Scarn ; and Cow-sharen.

Shaken, half of a broken wooden dish. A corruption of Shard.
'^ Aw-you, Mall, ye meer, where is maw sharenf* " Aback
o' my back, ye gimmer." — Newcastle Dialogue.

Sharps, coarse ground flour with a portion of bran.

Shaw, a small shady wood, a wooded bank. Sax. scua. Teut.
schawe, umbra. The word was used by Gower and Chaucer;
and is still current in many parts of England.

Shear, to reap, or cut com with the sickle. Su.<-Got. skaenu
Shear is not, provincially, applied to sheep. A sheep^eariag
is a clipping.— Shearer, a harvest reaper. In most parts of
tiie North the com is almost entirely cut by women, a man
bdng rarely seen in the harvest field with a sidkle in Ins hand.

Shed, to put aside^ to disperse, to divide. ** Shedding ^e hair
on the forehead." ** Shedding sheep." Sax. sceadan, divi-
dere. Tent, scheeden, separare. Germ, sdkeiden, to part. A
learned and distinguished historian. Dr. Lingard, informs me.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SHIL ms

* 4$aA "in LaiidiuihB*e' tbe wbrd ihed'h vm^ for, to surpass ;
** that gheds aU," being aooaunon expre6fli<m of surprise, equi-
i Talent to /'that snxpassea all that leyer heard ofi" He ftK-
. ther states^ diat hi^ disooveied in the f^nrch-yard at Cocker-
ham llie followii^ Uiscrq)tion : . . . . : .

Here lies John Richmond, honest man,
. Shed that who can !

Sheelt, Qr.SHEEunr, ^Sheel^apflb,. the clnffinch. Frmgiilu
esMft. linnsus, . Also called the Smnc

SH^KrDfo, applied to a slope or water&U of a mill-dam. Sheets

J ■ Xk»oke says, is the participle teeatoiseytan,to cast forth, to

. throw bat. - , <

iSliELD, party-^eoloured, flecked or specked. Shelled, or scaled,
divided. V. Tooke. :. ,

Shelty, a small, cq^hdy pony from Shetland. /Sc« jM^^ -

Shbm, shame. — Kewc. Skk. seetn^-^&BEU'YV, shameful. ** It's
Vkrskem,widtLhofybiz<m,** SeeBizoir;

Sheth, a portion of a field, which is divided so as to drain off
the water by the direction of the ploughings, called sheihs;
t. e, a separated part. Sax. tceadan^ to cKvide.

Shiel, Shieling, originally a temporary hut or cabin ioc those
who had the care of sheep on die moors, in which they resided
during the summer months; but* afterwards applied to fixed
, habitatiDns.' Su.-Goi.. tkale, tugiirialum,::ikmu8. .Ld« jMK.
IDence, North and Soiith Shields. lathe EndowineAt of the
Cathedral Church of Durham bf Hairy \^IIL, 1541, we find
^^ £cd0sia:SanCta& Hildse juxta.iSSJte^^r' /. The word exactly
expresses the tennlmtten of the Swiss peasantry. ^

ShieT) toiVremove fivnn one dwdling*^oufie to another.

SmprcNG^ this removal of the fuimtere,'On cfaang^g an habita-
tion.

Shifty, changeable, deceitful, not U^he depended on. " A sMflff
fellow" — a person of dubitable character.

Shiix, to-sepamte, to shell. Sax. €tf j»/tiin, exiudeare. '* ShilRng

Digitized by VjOOQIC

266 SHIL

oaU 9r haiU^ — taking off the hulk* " SkUling petuT —
cleaning them of their ifwuif, or husks.
BniLLr-saAUiT, hentatmg, irresolute. Generally thought to be
a corrupt reduplicatbn of shall If But see Thomson, who
asngns a Gothic on^ — Malg,sk€Plg, corre^K>ndiqg with

Shin, to trump at cards. — Dur, In North, rt^^ an old word, is
more generally used.

Shinb» a row, disturbance, mischief. ** To kick up a shme^

Shinnkt, a stick crooked or round at die end, with which to
strike a small wooden bell or colt, in the game called Shin-
NET| or SHiNifEY-HAW, and sometimes Shinham — played in
the Northern counties. The same as Doddabt ; which see.

Shin-spumts, pieces of wood placed on the 1^ of persons who
break stones for MtxcadanasuOiion.

Shippen, a cow-house. Sax. scypene, bovile.

Shire, to separate or divide; as cleaning liquor from the resi-
duum ; or parting the thick from the thin. A good old word
of pure Saxon origin.

Shirl, Shubl, to slide ; as on the ice. Fr. t^cmdery to slide.

Shittlbtidbb, a vulgar expression of disbelief or disapprobation.
V. Crav. Gloss. shUtlc'CumF^haw.

JShive, a slice; as of bread or cheese. Sax. tceavan^ to share.
Xhit. $cht/f. It occurs in Htus Andronicus.

.Shoe-the-cobbleb, a quick and peculiar movement with the
fore foot, when sliding on the ice. The '* cobUer^i knock" in
the South, is given with the hind foot.

Shoggle, to shake, to joggle. Germ, shaukeku Corporal Nym
says, ** will you thog off?" Shak. Hen. V.'

Shoo, Shue, to scare birds. Germ, scheuchen, to frighten.

Shoon, Shun, the plural of shoe. Sax. sceon^ Teut. schoen.

Spare none but such as go in clouted dwrnf

For they are thrifty honest men.-^-^S%aA:. Hen. VI-

Shore, to threaten. " It Mof« rain." V. Jam. jcAor.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SHUL 267

Shot, each man's share or just proportion of the score or reckon-
ing at a public-house. Sax. sc<a, tributum exactio. Swed.
Mtfa, to join, to join together; pest participle, sk8tt. But.
see Tooke, Vol. IL, p. 130.

Shouther, the shoulder. But schauder, — Shoutheiufellow,
a partner or marrow in any work tiiat requires the joint exer-
tiona of more than one man.

Shrew, a field mouse. . A vulgar superstition once prevailed
that this poor creature was of so baneful, iand venomous a
nature that whenever it crept over a horse, cow, or sheep, the
animal so touched became afflicted with cruel anguish, and
threatened with the loss of the use of its limbs. To repel
this imaginary evil, it was customaiy to dose up the shrew
alive in a hole bored in an ash, elm, or willow-tree ; and afters-
wards to whip the cattie, thus tormented, with one of the
boughs, which was conndered an efficacious cure. An intel-
ligent fiiend has reminded me of an old notion, that the sup-
posed malignity of this mouse is the origin ofskrew^ a vixen ;
in regard to which much difference of opinion exists among
etymologists. But Tooke (Vol. II., p. 1^070 seems to decide
it to come from Sax. tyrwan^ to vex, to molest, to cause mis-
chief to. See also Todd's Johnson. The matter, however,
is daily becoming less important ; as, to the honour of the
females of the present age, we seldom encounter *' a peevish,
malignant, clamorous, spiteful, vexatious, tiubulent wpman»"
the dictionary characteristics of a shrew.

Shufflk-and-gut, a superior step in vulgar dancing.

Shuggy-shew, a swing — a long rope fastened at each end, and
tiirown over a beam ; on which young persons seat themselves,
and are swung backwards and forwards in the manner of a
pendulum. See Bewick's ^sop, p. 4, where his Satanic
Majesty is amuang himself in this manner. The origin is
probably Germ, iphaukel, a swing-rope, and scheu, starting.

Shull, or Shuil, a spade or shovel. But. school, Sc. shool, or
ihuJe. V. Moor's Suffolk Words, showl.

Shull-bane, the shoulder bone. Germ, sckulterbein.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

208 SICK

SiCKy Sue, SiXB, soch. fipower uses tike, WitM^JwUie.
SiCKBR, sore. DaiujMrr. SwtcL«^«r.- GtsuLsi^er,
SiCKERLT, suoelj. DsiL n(^«r#. Sv. MerMgen. Germ. j»cA-

S1CK-UXB9 SoMJkty^Suu&^Lax, such like G«Ch Mwikik* S«z.

- SWrnOm

S1DB9 to decide, to settle; as well as to coincide to agiee.^ ^In

• Lancaahire, to sel:thiiigBrsside,t>r out of theway; >

SiDB, a. long, wide, lai^; portieularly as applied toartides of
dress.' The. word occurs both in the Saxon and Banish lan-

' guages. Shakspeare aud Ben Jonson me side skews, for long
loose hanging deeves* •

SiDB-up, to' put things in orders as to side up the house.

SmLB,^ saunt^, to take an oblique direction. .To side Umg.:

Sigh, to become hiiger. ^ The sboon are ower liljple, but tbe/ll
sigh out.

SiKE, Sykb, v. to ooze or run slowly; as water in a ditch— or
through a dam.

SiKB, SncB, s. % streamlet of water, the smallest kind of natural
runner. Sax. sic, sich, lacuna. Isl. s^ke. In title deeds re-
lating to property in the North, the word often occurs, in the
dog-latin of our old records— ik> archssolog^cally musical to an
antiquary. It is used ei^edally as descriptive of a boundary on
somelJiing less than a beck or stream.

SiLB, V. to percolate, to flow. — North, <

When he read the three first lines,

He then began to smile ;
And ^hen he read the three next lines,

The tears began to «fe.-*' - •

Lord DerwerUwater^t GooAmgltU

SiLE, V. to strain, to purify milk through a straining dish. Su.-
Got. sUa, colare. — Sile, s. a fine sieve or milk strainer. Su.-
Got. *i/, colum. Swed, «/, a strainer.

Sill, stratum of minerals. Sax. syUa, the sell or seat.

Siller, for silver. Still current in' pur Northern dialect. V.
Wachter, sUber,

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SKEE S6dr

Siixs, the shafts of a waggon. . A oomqitipii otthUis, '

SiLLT, disordered, wretched^-used to exiyress bodfly weakness.
A person not in health is said to be m&y, Su^Got. <a%,
poor, miserable.

SiND, to wash out^ to rinse-^-fdso to dihite ; to md U dowtijhaDg
to take a drink after meat. Sc. synde.

Sine, to percolate.p**-*jDt<r. Fr. ttdgnery to Ueed, to drain or let
out water. > .

Sine, afterwards. ** As tite sune as nHe/* V. Jam. «yne.

SiNGiN-HiNNiB, or S1NOIN6-HINNY, a lich kneaded cdke; imfis-
pensable in a pitman's family.. So called from the singing
noise emitted while baking it on the girdle.

S1N6LIN, a handful of gleaned com— a single igleaning. This
word is doubtless the same as the Cheshire tongow^ tongai,t6
ably illustrated by Mr. Wilbraham in his Glossary. In. a MS.
addition to a copy- of that interesting and privately printed
work, presented to me by the author, reference is made to
Hyde, de Beligione Persarum, for the ancient use o£s<mga^.

Sink, a frequent asseveration among the pitmen. See Sicash.

SiNNON, for sinew. Sc. senon. Dr. Jamieson, among other
etymons, refers to Old Fna,.sifnnen.

SiPBy to leak, to ooae or drain out slowly through a small cre-
vice. Sax. sipauy macerare. Teut. sijpcn, stillare, fluere.—
SiPiNGs, the oozings or drainings of a vessel after any fluid lias
been poured out of it^

SiRPLE, to sip often ; nearly allied to tippling. Swed. sSrpla, to
drink by little at a time. A horse is said to sirple, when he
drinks fastidiously and iq>aringly.

Site, or Sight, vulgarly pronounced saet, a great number.

Skare, or JSkaire, wild, timid, shy. Orose, V. Jam. Supp.
skar,

Skeel, a cylindrical wooden vessel foir carrying milk or water,
with an upright handle made of one of the staves in place of a
bow. Isl. ^nola, a milk-pail. - Sw. skSl, a bowl.

Skeely, Skilly, knowing, intelligent, skilful. Often nsed to

Digitized by VjOOQIC

270 SKEL

denote real or aapposed skUi in the core of diseaseg. The

doctress of a country yillage is tkeefy.
Skellt^ o. to squint Isl. skaela, Qerm. ichielen,^~3KBLLY, *»

a squinting look. Sax. sceoleage,
Skblp, V, to slap or strike with the open hand; partiailarly on

the breech or the cheek. Isl. ske^a, to strike. — Skelp, also

means to more rapidly^the eflfect for the cause.
Skelp, Skblpeb, s. a smart blow, or stroka— Skelping, a hearty

beating, a sound drubbing.
Skelpbr, a vulgar term for any thing very large.
Skep, a basket made of rushes, or straw. It is all ancient nanke,

not yet obsolete, for a measure of uncertain quantity. Sax.

9cep. A bee-hive of straw is called a bee^ikep. Gael, sge^*
Sker, to slide swiftly, to skate. Su.-Got. sJnutay trudere, im-

pellere. Swed. Mra^ to cut
Skew, to go aside, to walk obliquely. Qerm. scheuen^ to go

aside, to avoid, to shun.
Skew, to look obliquely, to squint Used in Cheshire. V.

Wilb.
Skew, to throw violently-->properly in an oblique direction.
Sksw-thb-dew, a term for a splay-footed person.
Sket, to start, to fly off; as a horse that takes fright— to thy.
Skill, to know, to understand. Isl. skilioy intelligere. Sow

skeel; which is also the vulgar pronundation in North* The

word is not obsolete as stated by Dr. Johnson.
Skime, to look asquint — Sken has the same meaning in the

Westmorland and Craven Dialects. See Skellt.
Skimmer, to glitter, to gleam. Sax. $cmany scmiany i^lendere,

fiilgere. Genn, schimmemy to shine.
Skip-jack, the merry-thought bone of a goose. See Moor's

Suff. Words. See, also. Jam. Su^. jumptttjock.
Skip-jack, ** an upstart." Todd's Johnson. In the North it

means an antic fellow.
Skipper, the captain of a keel, or coal baige. Sax. gdper^ nau-

ta. Dut. scMpper, a shipmaster. Old Sweid. tkipare.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SLAG 271

Skirl, v, to cry excessively^ to pierce the air with a shrill

voice.
Skirl, s, a loud and incessant scream or shriek— a continuation

of childish rage and grief. Dan. skraaly an outcry. Swed.

skrM, sound, noise. Isl. skraU.
Skit, to throw reflections on. Sax. icUan^ to cast forth.
Skitter, liquidum excrementum jaculare. Hence this vulgar

name for a diarrhoea. It is a hard pronunciation of Sax. sckan^

to cast forth ; for which we have another word used with the

soft pronunciation. IsL tkvetta, and Swed. skifta, exonerave

ventrem, are cognate.
Skogger, the leg of an old stocking; used by countrymen to

keep the snow out of their shoes. See Hoggers.
Skreenge, or Skringe, to squeeze violently. The etymology is

probably to be found in Gr. rvfiy{, a syringe. Fr. seringue*
Skrike, to shriek. Dan. skrige. Su.-Got. skrikoy vodferari.
Skrive, to mark or scratch wood or metal. Sw. skri/va, to

write.
Skug, v. to hide, to screen. Su.-Grot. skygga, obumbrare.—

Skug, s, a sheltered place. Isl. shiggi, umbra. Sw. ikugga,
Skurrt, haste, impetuonty. *'What a hurty^urty,^* Fr.

etcurer, to scour. Ital. scorrere.
Slab-dash, or Slap-dash, a cheap mode of colouring rooms, by

dashing them with a brush in imitation of p^er.
Slabby, dirty and damp--*sloppy. Teut. dabberen, to slabber.

Hence, Slab-basin, for slop-basin.
Slack, an opening between two hills, a valley or small shaOow

dell. Su.-Got. «/aAr. M. shdtur.
Slack, a long pool in a streamy river. Germ, scklickt, smooth.
Sladb, a breadth of green sward in ploughed land, or in planta-
tions.
Sladdebt, wet and dirty. *^ Sladdeiy walking." Isl. dadday

squalide grassari. See Slatter.
Slag, refuse of metals. We, probably, adopted the term fix>m

Sax. dagauy percutere, as what was struck off from the metal.

Ihre derives Su.-Got. slagg^ scoria, from tidy the chips of iron

Digitized by VjOOQIC

272 SLAI

dut^j from tlie aftviL; aqd Wachter dedaces derm. sMack,
scoria, foex metalli, from tchlagen, ejicere, exceraere.

Slain, a. blighted ; as Mn corn, when the graim iaredaced to a

.- dry sooty powdenv Swed. dagen^ sthick; «.g, strtick with
blindness — tlagen medbUndketj^BLkss^ s, the smut.

SLAisTKRy to beat,' to thrash, to drub, to thump*

SLAxrmtiMo, doing any thiiig in an awkward, untidy manner.

• V. Dure, siatk.

8hAME,.'v^ to smear, to wet, to bedaub. V* tMtf, ddutare.-

SiAKB, «. an accumulation of mod or slime, especially in a riyer.
Su.-Grot. slak, laxus ; as bdng soft and flaccid ; ^x TMit. sl^ck,
coeniUDy lutum. Tliere is Jarrew^SUdce, -on the-mer Tyne,
wherein, according to Horeden, the royal navy of the Nor-

. tborabiiliti 80?erdgn Ec^frid rode at anchor.

Stj^y to beat, to iuiff—also to push or shut Violently— ^4o bang.
** She skmmed^e door to." ....

Slamt, V, to uttte sly jokes, or petty lies. " Mm flantt a good
deal"— he is given to lying. — Slant, 9. a joke, a sneer. Ful-

- ler uses il&ni. . • ^

Slap-bang, violently, heaiMon^^^ikq>dath.

Slaps, slippery, smooth. V. Skinner, Ray, and Grose.

Slapping, tall, strong, strapping.^ — Slappeb, any large olgect.

Slasht, wet and dirty. Sw. slatk, wet. ** A slashy day."

Slate, to set a dog loose at any thiiig; as sheep, swine, &c. V.
Todd's Johnson.

Slatter, to pour awkwardly, to tHop, to spill. .. Hence, slat-
tern.

Slaver, to talk fast, or uninteUig^ly. Swed. .shrfva, to blun-
der in ^>eaking. See Hash. .

Slaw^ the Northern w:ord for slow. Pure Saxon. . .

Slbck, t;. to cool in water. Hence, Sleck-trough, the trough
containing the water in wbidi smiths cool their irpn. and tem-
per steel. Identical with Slake, tr. which see» ,....'

Slbok, to quench ; as to shek your, thirst. M..jdagekm,*

Sleb, cunning, sly, Chaucer usfes tUe^ sUghy £or sly. -

Sl^evelqss, unsuccessful, unprofitable; .-juretended, causeless,

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SLEU d7Jf

feigned. V. Tooke. b ii often pf^noiltieed in NorAuiilb^.
land THRBETfiLESs, probably hcm^Me»elesti or thriftiegs.

Sleuth, the tlot or tract of man or beast as known by the scent.
The word is evidently aUied to Isl. «/ocf, semita, vestigia; and
originally tiie same with L*. iHochi, a tn&ck, trace, or impression.
See SLEUTR-HOtnm. AeeorcKng to'Cuni^ngham^s New Soidk
Wtdes^ the aboriginal natives possess amazing ^ickness of eye
and ear, and can trace a man's footsteps with perfect ease
through every description of country, provided it is sufficiently
recent, and that no riun has fallen in the interim ; and the
same authority states, that they can guess very correctly how
hng it is since the individual has passed, and even ascertain
whether it is the bare footsteps of il wMte, or a Made man, by
the charaeter of die impression 1

Slbutr-hovivd, the Nortliem name ka t3i6 blood-hoiind; so
called from its quality of tracing the tleutk. These dogs were
fadd in great estimation by our ancestors; partkuiarly on the
Borders, where a tax was levied for maintaming them. Their
scent was so remarkably quick, that they could fdlow, witii
great certainty, the human fbotst^s to a coninderaUe distance*
Many of diem were, in consequence, kept in certain distirieeB
for the purpose of tracing thieves and maiailderB through tiieir
secret recesses.

I Upon the banks
Of T#eed, slow winding through the vale, the seat
Of war and npine once, ere Britons knew
The sweets of peace ■•

• • ♦ • • •' •

There dwelt a pU&ring race; well trained and skill'd

In all the mysteries of theft, the spoil

Their only substance, feuds and war their sport.

SomervUet Chate^ Bock /.

Th^ poet afterwards beaut^lly describea the mode of pursu-
ing these arch felons by this sagacious animal ; but the passage
ia too long for quotation here. Those, who would wish to
have lurtbw information relative to the blood'hound, may

N n

Digitized by VjOOQIC

f74 SLID

consult Scott's Lay of the Last IMQnstrel, Note 16, Canto L;
and Dr. Jamieson's Edition of Wallace, Notes on Book V.,
p. 370.

Sliddert, slippery. Sax. diddor, lubridtas. See Slither.

Slim, wicked, mischievous, perverse. V. Jam. 2d, sense.

SuNGB, to go creepingly away as if ashamed, to sneak. Sax-
sUncaUf to creep. Swed. dinkei^ to dangle, to hang upon any
one. Hence, Sunk, a sneaking fellow. Swed. slinker, a
dangler, a timeserver.

Slinky, Slonkt, lank, lean. Sax. sUncan^ to slmk. See
Slunkbn.

Sup, a child's jMni|f/brtf—firom the rapidity with which it is dip-
ped on or ofL In the Acta Sanctorum, mention is made of a
linen cloth drawn from the ear to the chin, to receive the bava
of infants, and to cover the bosoms of young girls. V. Du
Cange, bavara,

SuPE-oFF, to strip off the skin or berk of any thing. Grose.
V. Jam. Supp. slype.

Suppr, slippery. Not an abbreviation, as Mr. Wilbraham sup-
poses, but a pure Saxon word; and, as. shown by Bfr. Todd,
of old English usage; notwithstanding which the great lexi-
cogn^her characterized it as a barbarous provincial term,
from sUp/

Sub, to dip, to slide. See Slither.

SuTHEB, to slide, to slip. Sax. sUderian, Teut. sUdderen. —
SuTHERY, slippery. Chaucer uses tUder, which I am inform-
ed is still in vulgar use in Gloucestershire and Somersetshire.

SuvEB, V. to cut off a slice, to tear away a part. Sax. slifan.

She that herself will tUver and dishnmch.

Shak. King Lear.

Pope altered this to shiver, for which the Monthly Reviewers

wished to substitute sever.
SuvER, s. a slice. The word, in the sense of a branch torn off^

occurs in Hamlet. Chaucer writes it slivere.
Slockbn, to slake, to quench. Su.^Got. dodcnoy extinguere.

Isl. doka. Old Eng. Mcktfn. " To dodken your thirst"

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SLUS f75

SUMSAN, or Slughorn, the war cry or gathering word of a Border

* dan— the watch-word by which individuala of the same party
recognized each other, either amidst the darkness of night, or
in the confusion of battle. QaeL sluagh^ghairm, the signid for
battle among the Highland clans. SflK. sla, slag, bellicum, an
alarm to war, a warning or signal to battle. The ancient Bri-
tons had their war-song, intituled Arymes Prydmn^ or the
armed confederacy of Britain, which may be seen in the Cam-
brian Register. Tacitus mentions the chaunters in the army
who excited the soldiers to exert themselves, setting forth as
examples the glorious deeds of renowned heroes. The Uhoo'
hoo Ceannan, or yell of the Irish, became proTeri}]al. Seyeral
ftunilies in Northumberland, after the change of manners, con-

' Torted their slogans into mottoes to their arms.

SiXMSGSBiNG, loose. Untidy, slovenly; especially in the under

garments. Swed. dutkigy slovenly.
SiX)OM, Sloum, a gentle sleep, or slumber. Teut. sluymenj levi-

ter dormire. Sax. ilwnerian, to slumber.
Slopfy, loose, wide. Sax. tlopen, laxus; from to-^Mpan.
SixiRB, dirt, sump. Sax. dog, a slough. Teut. dorig, nasty.
Slorp, to make a noise when supping with a spoon, to swaOow

ungracefully. Teut. dorpen, sorfoere. Isl. durka, d^ntire.

Dan. durker, to swallow.
Slot, v. to fietsten by a bolt. ** Slot the door." Teut duyten.

Swed. tluta, to shut, to close. Dan. dittte.
Slot, $, a small bolt or sliding bar. Teut dot, sera.
Sluddeb, Sluther, to eat in a slovenly or duttith manner.
SmDDSRiiBNTy Slutherment, dirt, filth, nastiness.
Slump, to slip or fiill into a wet or miry place. V. Jam. Supp.
Slunkbn, having a lank and scraggy appearance. This is the

Danish word retained— c/tin^en, thin, lean, slender.
Slush, any thing plashy j but most commonly applied to snow

in a state of lique&ction. Su.-Got slade, humor quicunque

* sordidus, seems the root. Dan. dud, sleet, is allied.

. Slush, a reproachful term for a dirty person— a greedy eater.
In the latter sense it seems iillied to Dan. dughals, a glutton.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

97< 8MAG

fiaucKfV. to Idii with jiBoiia.-«^8iiAGSi<.« load kiflg; maAm
was ffvmi «t (be liidwroiu woddia^ of Catliflriiie aadFotni-
cbio.

Ha took tbc bride about th« wttA ;
And IdoiM hor lipi with tuch a clamonms mmek.
That* at Che .parting* all the churdi did echo.

Shak. Tamkig qfihe Shrew.

The ccfenony of nalatipg a bride at thejdtar, immei&itdy
after the perfonnaace of the marriage semce*-^ Tery aneknt
custom— -has not yet fidlen into disDie. There are two soorces
whence to derive the word gmadk. Dr. Johnson says. Sax.
snutecan; which no doubt is the ori^ of Germ« sekffieiekeln,
to coax ; but tlus seems too gentle a procedure. It is rather,
a friend remariu, the German mode of doing the thing with a
sckmad^-^oHtf relish, gusto; and hence their sehmaizen^ which
is to make a noise with die mouth in eating or kissii^, when
doing dther mth a relish.

Sma'-co'-fizzer, a Jhaang singing-hinny full of currants— figu-
ratively, tfttoU coals. See Sinoin-hinnie.

Small, not grown up. In our Northern phraseology, a small
£unily means a fiunily of young children, however numerous.

Smauut, litde, puny. ^ A smaUy bairn." Isl. snutlig.

Smartle, to waste, or melt away. Su^Gbt. smadta, to melt.

Smasb, e. to crudi, to break in pieces, to shiver.— Smash, <. a
crush, the state of being shivered, atoms. Gad. tmuau, faro-
ken in shivers.

Smash, a kind of oath among the pitmen. Nothing eneifgetie
can* be said without it. Indeed, it is the most striking cha*
racteristic of their uncouth phraseology-^-and natural enough
considering their liaUeness to be tnuuketL

Smasher, a small standing pie, or rused tartlet; generally made
of gooseberries.— -AffUKCiwtilr. This word also means any thing
larger than another of the same sort. It is likewise a cant
name for a pitman ; in which I am told by an ingenioUB friend,
we are to sedc for the etymology of the «<»d; a %wwiktr
being origiaally such a tart as a pitman could tmath or eat up

Digitized by VjOOQIC

6MOC 277

nt « nuHiJ^fuli But it fo, I lidtik, morelikdjfixMn Gem.
sehmiauen, to isuBtr'^^tekmmuffr, a feiister. As great quantity
and fieasting are in a pitman's glossary of taste quite synony-
mous, a smasher dgnifies necessarily something %, just as in
the English idea of prettmess always including plumpness, the
Trench jolt becomes in English ^'o%«

SiimsTH, to smooth. It is the ancient Saxon form of the word*

Smblt, the fry of the sahnon. Sax. tmeit, a smelt. Sardina
piscis. Lye. See Sparung.

SiEiDDr, a blacksmith's shop — a smithy. Sax. miihtha, &bri
offidna. Sw. smedia* Germ, schimdte,

Smiddt-gum, the refuse of the smith's shop.

Smirk, Smirklb, to smile pleasantly, to laugh in the sleeve or
secretly.but not satirically. Sax. «fik?raafi, subridere.

Smit, Smittle, V, to infect. Sax. smUtam, Dan. tmUte.-^
Smit, Swttle, «. infection. — Smittlb, Smittijsh, a. infe^
tious, contagious. Dan. smitsom. Teut. tmetteliek.

Smock, the under linoi of a female. Sax. imoe. A good old word,
though in the index expuigatorius of fiishionable delicacy. In
former days, gifts of land for the singular purpose of purchas-
ing smocks for Nuns were not uncommon. The Nuns of the
Priory of Saint Bartholomew in Newcastle about the time of
King John, obtidned a grant of this sort from Marmaduke de
Tweng and Margaret his wife. Among the presents to Queen
. Elizabeth, we find ** a smock of fine holland, and the bodies
and sleeves wrought all oyer with black silk." As remarked
by Fosbroke, this may appear to modem ideas an odd kind
of present; but a shirt, partly gilt, b mentioned by Bede as a
present sent by the Pope to Edwin, an Anglo-Saxon long;
and Joinville observes, that shirts were presented to kings, as
the first token of afiection, because worn nearest to the body.

Smock-raci^ a race run by females for a smock. These races
were frequent in my recollection among the young country
wenches ih the North. The prize, a fine Holland chemise,
was usually decorated with ribbons. The sport is still conti-
nued at Newbum, near Newcastle, on Ascension-day.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

£78 SMOO

Shook, to smother, to 8uffi>cate. Sax. unoran. Teut. snuxpren.
Common in Lancashire and Westmorland Mr. Todd sajs.
It may be added, in Northumberland and Durham also.

Smouch, to salute. An old word. V. Todd's Johnson.

Smcdob, o. to laugh in a clandestine or concealed manner.
Germ, schmunzeln, to laug^ in one's sleeve.

Smudgb, V, to bum without a flame, or any appearance of fire,
except smoke. — Smudge, or SafuSH, s, a sulphureous smdl
occasioned by smoke and dust— -dose^ suffocating air. Germ.
schmutz, smut, dirt.

Snaffle, to pilfer. '* Ye snaffled ihot fn Meg**

Snag, v, to hew or cut roughly with an axe. For etymology,
see Todd's Johnson. I am informed that the trees drifted
down by the Mis8issi{^i are classified as snags, mags, planters,
and sawyers.

Snag, s, the part left on the tree after a branch is cut o£

Snail's-gallop, a slow pace; resembling the motion of a snail.

Snake-stones, petrified shell fish or ammonites, resembling
snakes coiled up, without heads, for which Whitby has long
been celebrated. They were supposed to have been real
snakes ; and the want of heads was no ralid objection to the
hypothesis, since monkish tradition all^d, that the whole
race of serpents, by which the territory of Lady Hilda had
been infested, were at once decapitated and petrified, throu^
that good saint's prayers. V. Young's Geology of the York-
shire Coast, p. M5 & seq. and the plates there referred to.

They told how, in their convent cell,
A Saxon princess once did dwell.

The lovely Edelfled;
And how, of thousand tnakes, each one
Was changed into a coil of Hone,

When holy Hilda prayed. — Scotfs Marmion.

Snap, a small round cake of brittle ^ngerbread — ^liable to be

snapped. It is also a Scottish word.
Snap-apple, or Snack-apple, a kind of play. See Hallb-e'en.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SNOD 279

Snape, to chide, to r^rimand. Isl. sneipa, contumelid afficere.

v. Todd's John, snet:^.
Snarl, v. to insnare; as to itiarl hares. — Snarl, s, the snare

itself, made of wire. " Snaryn or snarlyn^ illaqueo." Prompt.

Panr.
Snathe, to prune, to lop. Sax. snitkan, to cut. Swed. tmda, to

cut or carve in wood. See Sned.
Snaw, snow. Pure Saxon. — Snaw-broth, melted snow.
Sneck, f, the latch or listening of a door or gate. It is also

used as a verb — to tnech the door, being to fit it by a latch,

Teut. snacketty captare. V. Ray.
Sneck-drawn, narrow-minded, covetous. V. Jam. tnech-drawer,
Sned, ». to lop, to cut. ** To tned sticks." Apparently the

same as Snathe. Dut. tneeden, Teut. smden^ and Germ.

schneiderif cognate.
Sned^ i, the long shank or han^e of a scythe. Sax. snad,
Snell, sharp, ke6n, piercing; as a snell air. Teut. sTtel^ acer.

Ital. sTtello, brisk. '' December fell, baith sharp and sneU"
Snew, snowed. ** It snew all day." It is the old preterite, as

used by Chaucer and other ancient writers.
Sneez^horn, or Sneesh-horn, a common sort of snuff-box,

made of the tip of a cow's horn.
Snifter, to snuff up the nose, to sniff Su.-Got. im/fita,
Snio, an eel. Hence, to tniggle, to fish for eels.
Snippy, parsimonious, niggardly. Teut. snippen, resecare.
Snirt, v. to laugh suddenly and involuntarily. — Snirt, s. a sup-
pressed laugh, y. Jam. Supp.
Snithe, sharp, piercing, cutting; applied to the wind. Sax.

snitkany secare. See Snell.
Snivel, Sneavel, to speak through the nose, to sniff— to snuffle,

Su.-Got. miffsta, V. Ihre,
Snivy, mean, covetous. Identical with Snippy.
Snock-snurled, entangled, much twisted, curled up like hard

twined worsted. Germ, knilpfen, a fastening, and knorr, a

knot — the fastening knotted.
Snod, smooth, neat, even, trimmed. Sax. stUdan, to cut.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

^0 SNOK

Affiled to persons^ it means sly, euiwiiig'y demurer ^ The
mod fellow would kiss the lass if he could.**

SifOKEy to sinellyto pry about curiously, to look closdy at any thing-,
to ferret. Swed. tnoka^ insidios^ scrutari. Serenius. — Snoka
% hvar vra, to thrust one's nose into every comer. Widcgren.

Snood, or Snude, a fillet, a ribbon. Sax« snod, vitta. Welsh,
ytnoden, Cornish, snod.

Snort, to laugh outright. — Snorting, laughing out.

Snot, Snotty, a contemptuous ^ithet for an insigmficant fel-
low — ^ inoty mucus nasi.

Snot, used by the common people to dengnate the borat wick
of a candle^the snuff.

Snotter, V, to snivel, to sob or cry. Sax. gnytan, — Snotter, s,
mucus nasL Sax. snote. Teut. snot.

Soak, or Soke, the same privil^e as Suckbn» Sax. see* V.
Grose, soke*

SoBBLB, to thrash, to beat. Probably frpm disable. It is a
very common word among the pitmen. *'AVU wbUe thy
body."

Sock, a plough-share. Fr. soe. In Palsgrave, ** socke of a
plough" is defined *^ soc de la cherue." See^ also, Cotgirave,
soc d*une ctuirrvH.

SoDDY, SoDDENT, hcavy, sad. Perhaps ftom sodden^ the pari,
o£ seethe, boiled down, all the goodness taken out.— Sodden-
wheat, furmety, or, as it ought to be spelt, frumenty ; a pre-
paration of newly reaped com, which, reboiled with milk, and
a little sweetened, makes a pleasant and nutritive meal.

Sods, a primitive saddle, used among countrymen— ^nade of
coarse cloth, or skin, stuffed with straw. Sax. seod (pi.
seodas) sacculus. Sc. sodiSs, sodds.

Soft, moist, mild, open; as applied to the weather. ** A soft

day" — a mild damp day, threatening rain.
SonE^ a collective termination. '' The two^oW— the three-

some**
SoNCY, or SoNSY, pleasant, agreeable, engaging; as applied to a
person's looks. It may, as a literary friend suppojwa^ he-

Digitized by VjOOQIC

sous 281

referred to Ital. condo; though it is, perhaps, merely a cor-
ruption of Fr. tans souei,
SoNCY, Sonsy, plump, fet, thriving— also lucky. "A sonsy

lass." Probii)ly from Teut. sanse^ increase, prosperity.

Todd. .
SooM, the Northumbrian pronunciation of swim. — Soomeb, a

swimmer. ** A top soofner.^*
Soop, our Northern word for sweep. Su.-Got. sopa,
SooTY-DOG, an opprobrious epithet for a dirty fellow,
SoET, a lot, a parcel, a number. " A sort of old wives." V.

Jam. Supp. Archdeacon Nares is mistaken in thinking that

the word is out of use.

But like a sort of dbeep dispersed &rre.

Spenser J FtArk Queene,

They can see a sort of traitors here.

Shak. King Richard II:

Soss, V, to lap like a dog.^-Soss, s. a call of dogs to their meat.

" Soss, houndis mete." Prompt. Parv.
Soss, 4. a heavy, clumsy fall; the sound caused by the act of

Ming. See Souse. Dr. Jamieson refers to Ir. and Gael.

siosy down, downwards. V. Supp. Ital. scossa, seems allied.
Soss, s, puddle, any thing foul or muddy. ^ The beer's as thick

a^soss. V. Gael. Diet. «o« / and Jam. «o««.
SoTTER, to boil slowly, to simmer. Sax. seothan, to seeth.
Souk, the Northern form of suck. — Souking, suckmg. V.

Crav. Gloss.
SouPLE, elasdcal — supple. Fr. souple. ^ He's as sottple as an

eel." — SouPLEJACK, a cane.
SouR-DocKEN, common sorrel. Rumex acetosa. Welsh, suran»
SouR^MiLK, butter milk. Swed. sur mioelk, Widegren.
Souse, v. to fall upon, to fall with violence. This common

North country word is in Todd's Johnson, derived from Fr.

sous, or dessouSf down. With deference, I submit that it

comes from suSy the old French word for, above or upon, for

whidi they now use sur, though still retained in some phrases ;
o o

Digitized by VjOOQIC

fM sous

as eourir nu a quel qu*un, to fid upon one. The modern
pieporition desnis, upon or abore, is only a compound o£de
and the old nis. Mr. Todd, I ohserre, in his 2d, edition,
prefers this etymology.

Souse, s, a great thump, a severe fidl, a blow.

SousK, «. the ear ; ]propet\y that of a pig. Hence, Souse, a dish
composed of pig's ears, &c. fi4ed.

Sow, by metonymy, an inelegant female, a dirty wench. The
word in this reproachful and detestable sense, is much' too
common. The Danes .ha^e a corresponding term — en skiden
Mr, a nasty, greasy, stinking jade. WoUf.

SowTHER, V, to solder. Fr. touder, — Sowther, s, solder.

Spack, or Spak, the ancient preterite oi speak; still in use.

Spait, Spate, Spbat, or Sptkt, a great fiiU of rain, a torrent, a
spout Sax. speyte, sipho, siphon, Teut. tpuyte. Gad.
tpeidf a great river flood, seems allied.

Spale, Spail^ Sptel^ Spell, a chipping of wood, or splinter.
Su.-Grot. tpiaell, segmentum. Swed. tpfdle, a pale, a splint.
Old Eng. spaUy a chip.

Spakcel, a fetter, especially a rope to tie a cow's hinder l^s.

Si{*ANO, a measure by the hand expanded — manus expansa.

Spang, v. to leap with elastic force, to spring. Grerm. spannen^
to extend. — Spang, ». a leap, a bound, a jump.

SpANG-AND-PURLEt-Q, a mode resorted to by boys, of measuring
distances; particularly at the game of marbles.

Spanghew, to throw with violence. The word is sometimes
used to express a barbarous operation on the toad, to ^diich
rustics have a great antipathy. In performing it they rest
one-half of a long wooden bar on a large stepping stone or
over a cart, placing the toad at its extremity. An athletic
youth, with a strong club, then strikes the unsupported end
with all his force. The poor animal, in consequence, is driven
into the air to an immense height; and, falling to the ground
with accumulated velocity, is bruised to a jelly. Toads, as
observed by Dr. Willan, may perhaps do some slight injury in
fields or gardens, but the above cruel practice is directed not

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SPAR 283

- 80 much againfit the ammal as against its supposed iiimate ;
for the clowns imagine^ that by the process they shall give a
coup de grace to a witch. A nmilar diversion, csHedJiUpping
the io0d, appears to be common with boys in Warwickshire
and the adjoining counties. V. Boswell's Shak. Vol. XVII.
p. 38, The same cruel sport prevails in Scotland. See Jam.
Supp^ qtang-tade,

Spanksr, a tall and active young person, one who walks with
quickness and elasticity. Dan. spanke, a, dignified gait; or,
as it is defined in Bay's Lexicon, ** to walk an Alderman's
pace."

Spab, to dispute angrily. Germ, tperren^ to resbt, to oppose.

Spar, Spabb, to shut, to dose. A veiy conmion word in North.
Sax. tparran, to bar. Dan. wperre. Germ, tperren.

Whan the stede is stolen, tfarre the stable dur— ^SStefton.

Spaji, A-spar, in a state of opposition. To $€t the legs a^ipar,
to place them like the spars in a roof A. ^' I thought you
were going to America, Thomas ?" *^ Aye, Sir, but our wife
set her legs a^spar, and nebody could mack her budge."

Spark, to splash, to make foul with mud. ** I've sparked my
boots." Elsewhere to sparkle.

Sparung, the smdt of the Thames, but not so of the Tyne;
occasionally caught in the latter river. Salmo eperUmus,
Pennant derives it from French eperlan; hut which is not
satisfactory to Dr. Jamieson. Its Southern name is said to
have been adopted from the peculiar scent of the fish, not un-
like cucumheac'-^smell it. Its Grerman name is sHnckfisch.
But see Sicelt.

Spart, a dwarf rush; common on the Northern moors and
wastes. Stipa tenacissima. Linnaeus. The Spaniards, who
make it into ropes, call it esparto. Perhaps it is derived from
Gr. 0^«{T«$. Eurip. Phoen.

Spart Y-GROUND, ground wet, and with rushes here and tliere—
such as are seen in sour pastures. '

Digitized by VjOOQIC

m SPAY

Spate, SpSAVEy to castrate^ to spay ; prpperiy confined to the
taking out of the ovaiia from female animals. Lat. spadare.
Germ, tpadden. Welsh, dupaddu. V. Gael. Diet, ipoth.

Spban, Spabn, or Spans, to wean a child, to deprive a creature
of its mother's milk. Germ* ipenen^ Young corn is said to
be speanedy when the milky (saccharine) juice of its gnin is
exhausted, and it is obliged to depend on the nutriment jool-
lected by its own roots.

Speel, SPEiLy to climb, to clamber. Sc. jpe/e, fpeil,

Spelder, to spell. Very common in Yorkshire.

Spelk, a small splinter, a thatching stick. Sax. spelc, Teut.
spalcke. Swed. tpj&Oau

Spelk, a little, slender creature; used as a term of reproach.
The word is often applied contemptuously to a puny, active
child — a mere splinter.

Spell-and-orb, a game. — Durham* In Tof^shire it is Spell-
AND-NURR, or Knur; the ore, or wooden ball, having been,
perhaps, originally the knurl, or knot of a tree. The ^ell is
the instrument in which the ore is placed. See Trippit-

AN1>-C0IT.

Spence, an inner apartment, a country parlour. Meaning a

larder, or store-room, — ^this b a very old word; from Fr. det-

pence. Y. Todd's Johnson.
tiPERE, or Spebr, to ask, to enquire, to search. Sax. ipyrian,

investigare. Swed. tp6rja,Xo ask, to question. '' This terme

[tperel is far Northeme, and nat usyd in commyn speche."

Palsgrave.
Spice, gingerbread. Germ, tpeise, a mixture of different ingfre-

dients.
SptcE, dried fruit Hence, Spice-cake, a cake full of currants;

and Spice-pudding, a plum-pudding.
Spiddick-and-fawcet, a wooden instrument used as a substitute

for a cock to let out liquors. Spigot^and-faucet.
Spile, a peg in a cask of liquor. Germ, speiler, a skewer.-*

Spile-hole, the receptacle for the same.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SPRA ^85

Spile, to nud^e a foundatipu in sofl or boggy ground; .as, for
instance, for a bridge, by driving in fpUes ; L e, piles or pieces
oftimber; probably from Su.-Qot. tpUile, lamina lignea.

Spilling-the-salt, an ominous accident; said to pr^age some
future calamity; particularly, I believe, a domestic feud— if it
fell towards a person— but which may be averted by throwing
a litde of the fallen article over the left shoulder, into the fire.
Major Moor asks, if the Latin or Greek classical authors make
any mention of it? Unquestionably. From Festus, we learn
that to spill the salt at table was esteemed ominous; and for
the great care with which, on that account, a family salt-cellar
lyas always kept, we have the authority of Horace. Accord-
ing to the well-known custom of our hospitable ancestors^ they
formerly dined at long tables; in the centre of which was
placed a large, and often very magnificent, salt-cellar. It
being a mark of distinotion, whether persons sate above or be-
low the salt, particular care was taken to place the guests in a
situation suitable to thdr rank. It would seem that persons
of superior station were sometimes placed below the barrier,
in order to mortify them.

My proud lady
Admits him to her table, marry, ever
BeneaOi Ihe tatt, and there he sits the subject
Of her contempt and scorn. — Maninger, City Madam,

Spink, a spark of fire or light. Identical with Spunk.

Spinnt-wte, or Spinny-why, a game among young persons in
Newcastie. V. Brand's I^op. Antiq., Vol. II., p. 305.

Spital, an hospital. Su.-Got. ipetal, Sc. spUtle. The Spital
in Newcastie. The late Mr. Gifibrd endeavoured to distin-
guish between SpUal and Spittle. V. Todd's John. Spittle,

Splirt, Spldrt, to spit out, to eject firom the mouth.

Sponsible, worthy of credit i^ the worlds-responsible.

Spbackle, to climb^ to clamber. Isl. sprikhy memhra concutere.

Spbag, lively, active. Grose. \. Jem. Supp, sprack.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

986 SPRE

Spbbckiibd, streaked, speckled. Su^Got. tpreekioL

Spree, sport, merriment, a frolic. Fr. eipri^, sjnrit, vivadty.

8prert, bespattered, splashed with dirt. Sax. sprengan, apar-
gere. Chaucer uses ipreint.

Spunk, a spark, a small fire. Also a piece of wood dipped in
brimstone— used as a match.

Spunk, mettle, spirit, vivacity; ua^ Jiguratwefy for life. In
the North, this is considered a good and very expressive wcntl,
though stated in Todd's Johnson to be a low and contempti-
ble expression. But see Dr. Jamieson's Supplement.

Spunky, sparkling, fresh, spirited. Sc. tpunkie,

Spubuno, the deep track of a coach or cart wheel. Germ.
tpur^ a rut; plural, tpttren. Sw. spAr, track, trace.

SauAB, a rustic seat, a long settle. See Lang-saddle.

In the Task of Covrper, there is a histoxy of the progress of
invention, to rest our weary or idle limbs : but his ignorance
of one stage in the progresSt makes it seriously defective, for in
his account he has made no mention of the Umg settle^ not un-
usually called a tquabt with which every cottage in this neigh-
bourhood has from time immemorial been furnished. — Piper
on (he Diakd cf Sheffield.

Stacker, to reel, to totter, to stagger. The old form of the

word. Swed. «^ra.-- Stackers, a disease in horses — ^the

staggers.
Staddle, the bottom of a com or hay stack, a mark left in the

grass by the long continuance of the hay in bad weather. Sax.

stculelf a foundation, or ground work. Isl. stitduU, pes. Wdsh,

ystadledd, a continuous state.
Stag, a colt, or young horse. V. Jam. staig, stag.
Stagnate, to astonish. " FU stagnate her wi* my story."
Staid, advanced in years. Local in this sense.
Staidun, a part of a com stack left standing. See Staddle.
Staith, often pronounced Steeth, or Steith, a place to lay up

and to load coals at— ^ther a storehouse or wharf, as occasion

Digitized by VjOOQIC

STAN ^7

may require. Sax. sUUh^ ttathe, ripa, littus, statio navium.
The word occurs in a demise from the Prior of Tjnemouth,

. A.D. 1338.

Stake-and-rice, a sort of wattled fence. See Rice.

Stalwart, stout, strong, hale, valiant. Sax. sUBUweorth.

Staboier, to stagger, to stumble. Isl. stumra, coUabi.

Stanchil, or Stannel-hawk, the Kestril or Windhover ; inha-
biting rocks and old buildings. FiUco Tinnuncvlui, Idn.
Shakspeare, in the Twelfth Night, calls it stant/eL

Stanchil, Staneshel, the iron-bar of a window — a Hanchum.

Standstill a stoppage, a cessation. An inversion of the clas-
sical sHUstand — Dan. and Dut. atUstand. Swed. stiUestdnd,

Stane, Stahan, St'yan, a stone. Sax. ttan, Sc stane.

Stang, v. to shoot with pain ; as in the tooth-ache — to sting.
Isl. stanga, pungere, — Stano, s. an acute pain, a sting.

Stang, s. a long bar, a wooden pole^~a piece of timber adapted
for the shaft of a cart or carriage; or for railing or putting
across a river; or, indeed, for any other purpose requiring
strength. Dan. ttang, a bar, a pole. Su.-Got. and Swed.
Mngy a pole. Isl. staung, pertica. Sax. tteng, vectis. Dut.
4tang, a pole. — Riding-the-stang, a punishment among the
vulgar; inflicted upon fornicators, adulterers, severe husbands,
and such persons as follow their occupations during particular
festivals or holidays, or at prohibited times, when there is a
stand or combination among workmen. Offenders of this de-
scription are mounted astraddle on a long pole, or ttang, sup-
ported upon the shoulders of their Companions. On this
painftil and fickle seat, they are borne about the neighbour-
hood backwards, attended by a swarm of children, huzzaing
and throwing all manner of filth. It is considered as a mark
of the highest reproach ; and the person who has been thus
treated, seldom recovers his character in the opinion of his
ndghbours. When they cannot lay hold of the culprit him-
self, a boy mounts the stang; but he is unmolested, though
attended with the same tumultuous cries, if not with increased
shouts of acclamation. The proxy vociferously proclaims.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

ggg STAN

that it is not on his own account that he is thus treated, bat on
that of another person whose crime he names. I have bemi
witness to processions of this kind myself. School-boys are
ttanged by the other sdiolars, for breaking, what they call, the
rules or orders of the school. The ceremony is also resorted
to, when a woman has gained an improper ascendancy over
her husband, so as to make him bear every species of indig-
nity. In this case, it is called ** Riding the sfang for a ndgfa-
bour's wife f* and a man is placed in the same uneasy situation
as before described, so that he may be supposed to represent,
or to sympathize with his henpecked friend, whose misery he
sometimes laments in doggrel rhyme, applicable to the occa-
sion. He is carried through the whole hamlet, with a view of
exposing or shaming the viraginous lady, and of thus prevent-
ing furdier outrages on the person of her pitiable partner.
This mark of disgrace, may be traced to very remote times.
The Goths were wont to erect, what they called Nidstaeng, or
the pole of infamy, with the most dire imprecations against
the person who was thought to deserve the punishment. He,
who was subjected to this dishonour, was called Niding, or
the infamous ; bemg disqualified from ever giving evidence in
any juridical matter. Eric, King o( Nonvay, was compelled
to fly from his dominions, so great was the hatred against him,
for having been the means of inflicting this tremendous stigma
on Egill Skallagrim, a celebrated Islandic bard.

SriiNGEV, a common North country name for a tailor. Obvi-
ously from the power of the needle.

Stank, to sigh, to moan, to gasp for breath. IsL and Su.-Got.
ttanka, to pant for breath. Swed. st&nka.

Stank, a wet ditch. It is an old English word, in the sense of
a pond, or dam of water.

Stap, the stave of a tub. Su.-Got^ staaf, a stave.

Starn, a star in the heavens. M<£.-Grot. ttaimo, Su.-Got.
sHema, Sax., Teut., and Germ. stem.

Stareish, powerful; as medicine that is too much for the
strength of the patient.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

STEE S89

Start, the tail, or handle of any thing. Sax. sleort, cauda.

Statesman, a person possessing a landed estate —idiether versed

. in the arts qf government or not. Cumb, and West, See
Laird ; with which it is synonymous.

STAUDy cloyed, saturated, overloaded^ fatigued. Properly gtaBed,
surfoted. Some think it h the past particq)le of stow, to
cram — stowed,

Staul, Stall, to fill to loathing, to surfeit. V. Jam. staw,

Staup, to lift the feet h^h, and treM heavily in walking. Grose.
y. Jam. Supp.

Stavellino, or Stavrring, wandering about in an unsteady or
uncertain manner; as in the dark — stumbling. Swed. itappla,
to stumble, to trip, to falter.

Stbad, Sted, Stid, a place, a fiirm house and offices. Sax. stedy

. itede. Su^Got* stad, locus, situs. Swed. itSUe,

Stealt-clothbs, an ancient game, still played at by boys. The
little party divide themselves into two bands, drawing a Ime as
the boundary of their respective territories ; and at equal dis-
tances from this line, deposit the hats, coats, or handkerchief
of each in a heap. The game commences with a defiance, and
then they make mutual incursions, each trying to seize and
carry away some article firom the other's store ; but if they are
unfortunately cau^t in the attempt, they must not only re-
store the plunder, but remain prisoners until one of their own
party can make liis way to them, 'and touch them. When all

, the things of the one party are transferred to the other's head-
quarters the game is won. A well contested match will some-

. times last nearly a whole day. See Scotch-and-english.

Steok, a stop, a sticking place. ** To take the steals* — ^to be-
come restive,

Stbb, or Stby, «. a ladder. Sax. d<Bgery gradus. Su.-Got.
stege, scalae. Dan..«%«, a ladder. The word is also used
adjectively for, very steep. Chaucer has tteye, to ascend, and
stffCf with the same meaning, occurs in Palsgrave.

Steek, to shut, to close. Tent, stecken, daudere. Sax. ttigean,
to inclose. ** Steek the heck" — shut the door. — North,
pp

Digitized by VjOOQIC

290 STEE

Kittle t*co«l> and mak t*iiigle atiine ;
Steik t*dere, and keep out t*8wine. — Cumb.

Steeping, yery wet; applied to a rain which steeps ewery
thing.

Steer, a three years old ox. Sax. styre^ tteor. Germ, itier.

Steg, a gander. Isl. iteggr, the male of Inrds, as well as of
most quadrupeds. The word is applied ironically to a clown-
ish fellow. ^ A stupid c^€g."

Stell, a large open drain in a marsh. Dan. steilf steq)?

St^ll, a fold, or small indosure for cattle. Y. Jam. Supp.

Steng, a bar, a pole, a post. The pole of the old Northumbrian
drees was called a steng. The post, on which the notorious
William Winter was ^bbeted, on Y^hiskershidds common,
obtained the name of l^^ter^s Steng. Before his execution
the place was called Steng Gross, from a cross with a tall
shaft. Steng is a pure Saxon word. See Stang.

Stent, grass for a season, a r^ht of pasturage — a stint.

Stew, confusion. V. Grose ; and Todd's Johnson.

Stick, a stand or combination among wwkmen ; generally in re-
gard to wages—- what is dsewhere called a strike.

Stickle, a bustle.— Sticklb-busy, remaricably offidous.

Stickt-stack, a game among young people in running up the
fiice, or cut part of a hay*stadc.

Stiddt, Stitht, an anvil — ^used sometimes, but I think impro-
perly, for the smith's shop. Id. stedi, incus. Stithe^ is old
Englbh. Shakspeare employs the word stithy, in both senses;
and he dso uses the verb to sHthy, to employ an anvil. Bay
has, among his Northern words, stithy strong, hard, which is
pure Saxon ; but it is not now in use, that I am aware of, ex-
cept in Scotland.

Stiff, wedthy. " He's a rare */j^one"— he is immensdy rich.

Stilt, the handle of a plough. Sax. stele, Y. Somner.

Stime, Sttme, the most indistinct, or the fiuntest form of any
otgect— a glimpse, a whit. ** I cannot see a stime" Sax.
scima, fulgor. Welsh, ystum, figure, shape.

Stint, t>. to stop, to cease, to desist. Sax. stintan.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

STOO 291

JThQ prettj wendi left crying, and said. Ay ;— .
And pretty fool, it tUmUd and said. Ay.

Shak. Borneo and Jvlkt.

Stirk, Sturv, a yearling ox, or hdfer. Sax. ttyrcy juvencus.

Stirruf-olass, parting drink taken with a Mend. This may be
referred to an old Nordiem custom of the landlord presenting
a stirrup-cup to his guests for which no charge was made.

Stite, strong, muscular. Sax. d\fe, durus.

Stob, a stump, a stake, a post. Teut. ftdthe^ truncus. Swed.
itMe^ fSae stump of a tree. The gibbet near FenryfaHl, a por-
tion ^ which was standing within my recollection, was con-
staiydy called Andrew WUi Siob. Mr. Surtees, who gives a
detailed account of tiie prevailing traditions respecting the
iragical catastrophe which led to the execution of WIIb, re-
marks, tiiat tiie Stob was in a fidr way of being pulled down
fnecemeal, under tiie effects of a belief in its efficacy as a
charm against ague or tooth-ache. The value attached to any
portion of a murderer^s gibbet, in incantations, is well known.
y. Surtees' Hist of Durham, VtA. III., p. 281.

Stob, m^^^ortco^, an ignorant, stupid fellow.

Stob-fjsathers, the short unfledged feathers thai; remain on a
fowl after it has' been plucked. The synonymous terms in
Teut. are stoppel^oeder^ and Hock^wder, Y. Jam. Supp.

Stomachy, easily offended, resentful — ttOfmachfuL

Stook, a shock of com, consisting of twelve sheaves. Some-
times ten of them are set up to dry, and the other two, which
are called hoodg^ or kood'sheaves^ are placed on the top. Teut.
itock, meta, a heap. V, Jam. and Todd's John.

Stoop, Stowp, a post ft^tened in the eartii. Su.-Grot. stolpe,
fulcrum. Lat. stupa, Sc. stoup.

Stoor, dust in motion.— -Stoort, dusty. Sax. siyran, turbare
movere. Dut. stooren^ to disturb. — Stoor also means a bustie>
2i&attina stoor, all in a hurry.

Stoorey, a mixture of warm beer and oatmeal with sugar— that
which is stirred up. Y. Jam« Supp. stourum.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

fM STOP

Stop, to thrnst ; e. g. to stop the poker into the fire«
Store, esthnatioa, regard, esteem. Dan. ttor, great.
Storken, to cool, to 8t^fen. Germ, gtarkeuy to strengthen.
Stobm, a fidl of snov**-^ long condauance of frost and snow.— >

EEBDDfG-STOBM, sttch a fell of snow as indicates an i^^roach-

ing storm of long continuance. The Lambinq-stobm, and the

Pbb-wit, or TuiFFiTHSTORif^ aie also spd^en of; a cover of

snow frequently £Edlmg at the time.
Stobm* STAID, delayed on a journey by reason of a storm.
SroTy to rebound from Uie ground, to strike any elastic body so

as to cause it to rebound. Dut. ttuUen^ to bounce, to rebound.

Stotting-bali^ a rebounding bell.
Stot, a young os— I beliere, two years old. Su«-Got. stutfja-

Tencus. Dan. tiud, oi^ ox«
Stocni>» a small portion of time, a moment. QtoL^itund, There

are many cognates in the other Northern languages.
Stocnd, «. to ache, to smart, to be in pain. Isl. st^fn^ ingem^s-

cere. — Stound, «• the sensation or first impresdon of sudden

pain, arising fitHn a knock or blow.
Stow, to crop, to lop, to cut off. Su«-Got. Mtyfwa^ amputare.
Stowen, the participle passive of «^«a^— stolen. Sc. Houm,
Stower, Dvkb-stowbr, a hedge stake. SuvGot. Ooery palus.

In <^ Lat. charters, iitwinwH^ ettauarium.
Strain, to link together; expressive of the union of ihe sexes

in the canine race. Sax. $trynany gignere, generare, proereare.

V. Todce, Vol. IL, p. 289.
Stramash, o. to beat, to bang, to break irrqMiably, to destroy.

Ital. itrammaszare, to idng down with, force.
Stramash, s, a complete overthrow, with great breakage and

confusion. *' He made a sad stramoih among the pots and

pans." Applied, metaphoriealfy, to a violent party contest, or

to the 4uK>rder arising in a popular tumult ot commotion.

Dr. Jamieson refers to Fr. estramapon^ a blow.
Stramp, to tread upon, to trample. Germ, strampfen. Su.-

Got trampa, V. Wachter; and Ihre.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

STRU 293

Strandy, resdvi^ paenooe^ contradictious. Germ, siranden,

to run agrouud-^to set the legs o-fpar / if I maj so translate

it. See Spar.
Strang, strong. Pure Saxon. Isl. gtrangr. Sw. Uref^.
Strapping, tall. — Strapper, a large man or woman.
Strataiging, Strataging, strolling about; generally in a bad

sense. Isl. stravagare, to wander abroad.
Streamers, the Northern lights. See Merry-dancers.
Stree, Strea, Strew, provincial pronunciations of straw. Sax.

sirea, stre^ itreow. Sc. itrae. Chaucer writes it stre, in

Kmght'z Tale.
Streek, to stretch or expand, to lay out a corpse. Sax. Mtree*

can, extendese. Swed. Hrdcka, to stretch, to extend.—

Strbeking-board, a board on which the limbs of a deceased

person are stretched out and composed.
Streek,, to measure com exactly, by passing a veiy stra^ht

piece of wood^ called a streek or strike, over the top of the

measure. Su.-Giot. stryka. Sax. stracaiu Germ, streicken.
STREEiaEi>-MBASURE, exact measure — ^in opposition to heaped

measure.
Stretcber, an untruth; a softer term for a falsehood.
Strickle, an instrument used in whetting a scythe— that with

which it is streekedy or stroked. Sax. stracan, straciah, to

stroke.
Striddle, to straddle. — Striddle-legs, astride, cross-legged.
Strinkle, to spread by scattering, to besprinkle.
Strip, to draw the after miMug of a cow.— Strippings, the last

part of the milking; said to be richer than the rest — ^the strok-

ings or afterings.
Stroke, quantity ; as a great stroke of business. Meaning sway

or inflitence, it is an old word.
Strounge, harsh, smrly, morose. V. Jamieson.
Strunt, a sullen fit. To take the strunts, to be under the influ-
ence of a pettish humour. — Strvnty, petted, out of humour.

V. Jamieson.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

$94 STUB

Strunt, the tail^ or rump. — Strunty, any thing short or con-
tracted. Fr. ettreitU, shrank up, V. Skinner; and Bay.

Stubbed, grubbed up; metapkorictdUf^ ruined. Swed. ritMigy
cut oSy curtuled.

Studdy, a smith's anvil. See Stiddy, Stithy.

Fling off their black duddies.
Leave hammers and ttuddici.

Song, JffofM^ GeaUidcrs^

Study, to astonish, to amaze.— -Study, astonishment, amase-

ment. V. C^T. Gloss., 2d. edit.
Stummer, to stumble, to stagger. Id. itumra, coUabL ^
Stump, a heavy, thick-headed fellow. Germ, stumpf.
Stump, to put down, to pay ready money ; stump your cash,

being synonymous with down wUh your dust. It has obviously

the same origin as on the fiiitf--«oIvere super unguem.
Stumps, a term for the legs. * Stir your stumps**' V. Jam.

Supp.
Stupid, obstinate; though possessmg good talents. A person

really stupid, is generally called soft.
Sturdy, a disease in the head of cattle, espedally sheep, by

which the animal becomes stupified — a vertigo. Old Fr.

estourdi, dizzy^headed. Teut. stooren, vertere. Gael, stuird,

a vertigo.
Sturt, disturbance, vexation, complaint. Dan. styrte.
Stut, to stammer, to stutter. An old word, still in general use;

Stot, to rebound or reduphcate sounds, seems cognate.

She spake somewhat thicke.
Her feUowe did stummer and ttut.
But she was a foule slut!— ^$%etton.

Sty, a troublesome and painful swelling on the eye-lid. Sax.
stigend* Great relief, if not a perfect cure, is supposed to be
effected by the application of a wedding ring, nine times re-
peated. The use of talismanic rings, as a charm against

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SUMP 295

diseases, appears to have been generel, and in great estimation^
in remote ages, and among many different nations. These
rings were considered equally potent against the influence of
demons ; and indeed against danger of every sort, but more
especially the plague.
Styth, foul air; a black suffocating damp in a colliery.

And oft a chilling damp or unctuous mist.
Loosed from the crumbling caverns, issues forth ;
Stopping the springs of life.— Ji!^*« EdgeMU.

Subterraneous-passages. Near every andent castle, cathe*
dral, ^bey, or hall, the common people have tales of under-
ground (vaulted) roads, sometimes to great distances; such as
— ^from Newcastle to Tynemouth — ^firom Tynemouth to Gar-
lisle— from Hexham to Alnwick Castle — ^from Durham to
Finchale Abbey, and other places. The interminable, cavern,
ending in hidden treasure, guarded by spell or wakeful demdn,
is another comi^on topic of popular superstition, concerning
which a variety of incredible stories have been fabricated.

SucKBN, an exclusive privil^e of grinding, or oth^r jurisdiction
attached to a mill ; the dues paid to the miller. Sax. tocne^ a
liberty, privilege, or franchise. Su.-Grot. sokn^ exactio rei
judicata^ vel mulctae. Dan. sogn^ a parish or district; and
Swed. socken, a parish, are allied. In England, all mills an-
ciently belonged to lords of manors ; nor were the tenants,
who owed service, pomitted to grind except at the lord's
milh. Mills also seem to form one of the principal heads of
the law of Scotland ; where that extent of ground, the tenants
of which are bound to bring their grain to a particular mill, is
called the suckefu The word is still retained in leases from
the %hop of Durham. See more on this subject in Tomlins'
Law Diet. vo. thirlage,

SuDDLE, or SuTTLE, to soil, to tamish— to sully. Germ, sudeln,
Swed. sttdda.

SuMF, a term of reproach — a fool. Y. Jamieson, sunipL

SuMMER-GOOSE, the vulgar name for Gossamer ; which see.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

!e96 SUN-D

SoMP, SoMPBy a bogr a swamp, a miry pool. Btu-Qot. and JCbn.
ni«p.— Smipr, jbotj, diity. Dan. JwnfMji^. — Sumph, an ^i-
tlieC for a duty penon.

Soif*DAif CB. It waa formerly a custom, scmpakmsly olitarved,
to rise early on Easter Sunday, and to go into the fidds to see
the sun. dance, which, aooording to andent tradilaon, it always
does on this day. The practice, I have some reason to be-
lieve, is not yet entirely laid aside among those that have
eyes £or such things. Our ancestors decorated the churches
with flowers, as emblems of resuscitation.

SUHiHSBLAiip-nTTBR, a jocukuT term at cards for the knave of
dnbs.

SuNES, a rustic substitute for a saddle ; not unlike Sods ; which
see. "Dan^iengt a pad.

8uRB»AS«A-6UN, sbsolutdy certain — ^a common colloquial com-
parison ; first adopted, periups, when the gun was found to
be so much surer as an instrument of destruction than the

SwAD, a peasGod, the husk of any kind of pulse. Skinner de-
duces the Word firom Sax. swetkan, ftsciare.

SwAMisH, SwBAMiSH, shy, awkwardly bashful. Perhaps, fit>m
squeamuhy to which it certainly bears an affinity.

SwAincv, a strapping young country-man — an athletic, effident
labourer. Sax. sivauy suMmg, a countiy swain ; firom swincan^
to woriL, to labour.

Swap, to exchange, to barter. Id. Mpta, mutare. V. Jam.

Swaps, v, to sweep. Sax. fiMpan, verrere. Id. sweipa, per-
cutere.

Swaps, «« a long oar or sweepy used in woridng a cod ked on
the T^ne; that at the stem acting as a rudder. Swappe, to
strike or throw down with violence, similar to the action of
using the nvapcy occurs in Chaucer. See the verb.

Swaps, an instrument used in spreading, or, as it is conmionly
called, scaUngy manure.

SwABBLE, to climb up the bole of a tree by the muscular action
of the arms, thighs, and legs— to ttvann.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SWID «97

SwABTH, SwATHy the apparidoa of a penson, about to die. Ray
says from Sax. sweariy black, dark, pale, wan. See Waff.

Swatch, v, to swathe, to swaddle. Sax. twedan^ to bind.

Swatch, «. a pattern, a sample, a tally. Y . Ray, swache,

SwATTLE, to consume, to waste ; generally applied to fluids.

SwEAii, V. to melt, to waste or blaze, to bum away rapidly; as a
candle when exposed to the wind. Sax. swelauy to bum. An
old English word. — Sweal, s* a blaze, an enlarged flame.

SwEARLE, or SwEEYEL-EiTE, an eye with a particular cast.

Sweat-cloth, a very vulgar name for a handkerchief; but obvi-
ously the swat-clathf or sudary of the Saxons.

SwEDDLB, to swell.—- SwEDDLED, Swelled or pufied out.

Swede, or Swathe, a row of mown grass. See Hat-making.

SwEEL, a sudden burst or swell of laughter.

SwEER, unwilling, backward. Sax. suhbt, deses. V. Somner.

Sweetheart, v, to court, to woo. — Sweethearting, s, court-
ship.

Sweeties, confections, or sweetmeats, for children.

Sweigh, or SwEY, to poise, to swing, to lean or incline to one
side. Isl. iweigia, inclinare. Grerm. schufehen, to move. It
appears to be the origin of the legitimate sway.

SwELT, to broil, to swoon, to faint — sometimes to expire. —
SwELTED, overcome with heat and perspiration. Sax. swel-
tan, to die, seems the probable origin. Kilian gives a corres-
pondent term in vet. Fland. — twelten, deficere, languescere.
I may add Swed. wdUa, to starve with hunger, as allied.

SwERLE, to roll from side to side in walking. Teut. nuieren,
circiunvolvere. It is also applied to express the meandering
of a stream of water. A small runner in Sandgate, Newcastle,
was anciently called the Swerle; now corrupted into the
Squirrel.

SwERUB, or SwiRLE^ a twist in the hair; same as Calf-uck.

SwiDDEN, to scorch, to singe, to bum off the wool or nap. Ray
writes it twizzen.

SwiDDER, to doubt, to hesitate. Su.-Got. swaefwa, fluctuare.
Teut. swieren, vagari. — Swidders, doubt, hesitatioji.

Digitize;^ by VjOOQIC

S9S SWIL

Swill, a round basket of wicker work; generally carried on the

head. Hence its Newcastle name, Keynde umbrella, when re-

rersed in wet weather.
SwiLUNOS, the washings of vessels given to swine — swiO. Sax.

swilgan, to drink largely— to swill.
Swinge, to chastise, to beat soundly. Sax. smngan, flagellare,

castigare. It occurs in Two Gentlemen of Veroncu
Swingle-tree, a moveable piece of wood to which the traces of

husbandry horses are fastened— the splinter bar. Teut. swing-

helen, vibrare.
SwDfKED, oppressed, vexed, &tigued— literally worked. Sax.

swincan, laborare, fatigarL Used in Peirs Ploughman; and

several times by Chaucer.
Swipe, to drmk off to the very bottom. — Swipes, dregs.
SwiPPEK, nimble, quick. Sax. swipan, cito agere. V. Lye.
Swire, Swyre, the hollow or defile near the summit of a hill. —

!Norih, V. Jam. iware^ swire^ swyre ; 2d, sense.
SwiRT, a syringe. Su.-Got. sqtugtta, liquida effundere.
SwiRTLB, to proceed with a moving motion like an ed. Su.-
Got. swarfwa, circumagere.
Switch, to walk with a light quick step, to go with a sort of jerk.

Su.*Got. swiga, loco cedere.
Swither, to fear, to tremble. Apparently identical with Swm-

DER.

SwoRi>-DANCis, an ancient Christmas custom ; still continued in
many parts of the North. It is fully described in Brand's
Pop. Antiq., Vol. I., p. 400, & seq. There is also an interest-
ing dissertation on the ancient English Morris Dance, in the
Sd. vol. of Mr. Donee's Illustrations of Shakspeare.

SwuPPLE, or SouPLE, the upper joint of a flail. Fr. souple,
supple; or Isl. sweipei, to strike. In Cheshire, swippo,

Sylbs, the principal rafters of a house, or building. Isl. siUur,
tigni proceres, latus jugentes.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

TAKE ^m

Tack, v. to tpisie.— Tack, «. a lease or farm — a taking. V. Co.
Lilt. 5 a.

Tacket, a small naiL " Used in Scotland." Todd's Johnson.
It is also in common use in the North of England.

Tab, the toe; according to the Scottish form. Sax. ta. Dan.
iaa.

Taied, Tyjsd, a toad. Sax. tade, Sc. taid. — Taed-red, Tyed-
HBD, the seed, or spawn of toads ; generally seen in a mass like
a bunch of grapes. V. Bewick's iEsop, p. 290.

Tafft, a sort of candy made of treacle thickened by boiling. A
company of young people often make it in a winter evening
by way of amusement-^called joining for tafy. Mr. W ilbnu
ham derives the word from Fr. tqfioy or taffiat, sugar and
brandy made into cakes. Others think the proper spelling
and pronunciation is toughy, which explains itself. See
Clagham. *

Tailor's-iiense, a small portion left by way of good manners*
In some parts of the North it is the custom for the village
tailor to work at his customer's house, and to partake of the
hospitality of the family board. On these occasions the best
fare is invariably provided ; and the tailor, to show that he has
had enough, generally leaves a little on his plate; which is
called taUoi's mense; perhaps pro mensd. This term is also
given to the cuttings sent home by such of the fraternity
as do not labour under the old imputation of loving too much
cabbage.

Taistrel, Testril, a mischievous, ill-behaved boy. When ap-
plied to an adult, it is an expression of great contempt, equiva-
lent to scoundrel. Perhaps only a v^ety oikmtrely or ke$-
trel, a bastard kind of hawk.

Takb-off, to ridicule, to jeer — ^by means of mimicking. Dan.
tage'eetiHtf^ a twin expression, to take one o£

Digitized by VjOOQIC

30a TALE t

Tale-pte, TEUi-PiBT, a malicious infonner — a teU'tale,

Tang, Teng, v. to sting. — Tang, Teng, «. a sting, an acute pain.

Tang, the pointed part of an instrument that is inserted in the
haft, the tongue. Sax. tang. Swed. tdng.

Tang, sea-weed. Su.-Got. and Swed. tang, alga marina.

Tanging-nadder, the large dragon>fly. See Fleeing-katheb.

Tang-o'-the-trump, identicalfy^ tongue of the gewgaw, or Scotdi
trump; but,^urativefy, the active partner in a commercial
firm — ^the principal person, or chief spokesman, in any out-
breaking of popular violence. Borders of North,

Tahjl, a piece of deep water, natural or artificial. WiUan.

Tantarara, a confused noise. V. Todd's John, tintamar.

Taplash, poor beer, dregs. An old word, still in use.

Tappt-lappt, as hard as you can; applied to running.

Tarn, a large pool, or small lake; a very old Northern word.
IsL tiom, stagnum. Swed. tidm, a pool, standing water.

Tat, to mat, to entangle. Su^Got. tudda, intricare.

Tate, a small lock ; as of hair, wool, &c. V. Jamieson.

Tatee, a potatoe. — Tatee-bogle, a scarecrow in a potatoe field.

Tatee-ani>-point, a repast ; consisting of a plentiful enou^ dish
of potatoes ; but where the meat is merely pointed at — by way
of indulging the fimcy. They seem to improve upon this in
the romantic regions of the Emerald Isle, vulgarly called the
land of potatoes. V. Memoirs of Captain Rock, p. 343.

Tath, Tath-orass, profuse coarse grass that grows about the
dung of animals ; on which a correspondent remarks, '' it is
singular that every animal is fond of such grass, but the kind
of animals by which the dung was dropped— a beautiful provi-
sion of Providence." An examination of the works of infinite
power always reminds us of the benevolence with which it b
combined.

TathY'Grass, short grass without seed, refuse grass. See Tath.

Tatter-waulops, ragged clothes fluttering in the wind* See
Wallop.

Taving, s, irregular motion ; picking the bed clothes in febrile
delirium. Willan. V. Jamieson, toiv<rr; and Ray, tovr.

Digitised by VjOOQIC

TEEN 901

Tawm, Tome, Tam» a fishing line. " A long twine tamJ' Ap^
parently corrupted firom team. But see Jam. Supp. tome,

TAvm, to fall gently asleep. " He'll soon taum over." Gad.
tamhy rest, sleep. V Gael. Diet.

Taws, a pair of taws, a leather sth^ used by schoolmasters f<v
chastising children. Isl. taug, lorum. V. Jam. tawit,

Tayuob, or Teayleab, a tailor. Old Eng. talyowre, ** What
man aw flee te next^ as the teaylear's lad said, when he had
been all day stitching a botton hole." Norih, Prov,

Tba, the one; as ^ tea hand" — the one hand. Sc. toe,

Teady, Teedy, weary, peevish, fretful. See Teethy.

Teangs, Tyengs, a pair of tongs. Sax. tangauy forcipes.

Tearan, tearing. A tearan fellow is a rough, hot-headed person,
who drives every thing before him, regardless of danger or of
consequences.

Teave, to paw and sprawl about with the arms and legs. Grose.

Ted, to dress hair and flax, as well as to spread abroad new-
mown hay. y. Todd's John, and Jam. Supp.

Tee, adv, too. A general Nortiiern pronunciation.

Tee, or Tie, a hair-rope with which to shackle cows in milking.

Tee-fall, a mode of building in the penthouse foiyi, to which the
Northumbrians are wonderfully attached. For the benefit of
the South-country reader, as well as to improve orthography,
I shall adopt my friend Mr. Cotes' suggestion, that this pro-
vincial word should be written "f -fall, or l?-fall, with the cross
bar of the letter T redimng to denote the peculiar form of the
building.

Teem, to pour out of one vessel into another. Isl. taenia^ to
empty. Swed. tSma. ** Teem out the tea, hmnt/J*

Teem, a brood of young ducks. Sax. team, offspring.

Teeming-woman, a dame who is more prolific than every loving
husband considers indispensably necessary to his happiness.
Sax. team^fidlf prole plenus, foecundus.

Teen, v. to kindle, to light. *' Teen the candle." West, V.
Jamieson, teind; and Wilbraham, On,

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SM TEEN

Tbbn, #. wiTOWy injury. An old word; used by many of our
Mriy writeTB.— Tbkn, a. angry. V. Lye, teotu

Tn^THY, cross, fretfiil, peevish ; generally spoken of diildren.
The term has been viewed as having some connection with the
teeth. V. Grose. See also Todd's John, techy; and Jam.
teth.

Tell, a tale. To hear teU, to learn by report.

Tell'd, for told. A corruption authorized by Spenser.

Tbhsb, o. to sift.— Tbmse, «. a sieve. See Timse.

Tent, to observe— to tend or look to, to watch over. V. Hay.

Teugh, Tough, tedious, difficult. ** A teugh journey.*' — ^ Teugh
wark." Apparently, the original sense of the word.

Th, frequently changed into D; as father, to fader ; mother, to
moder; Rothbury, to Rodlntrt^, &c. Although the powers of
th are generally given to the Saxon x) and «3, yet there is
little doubt that these letters were often used indiscnminatdy
for D only.

Thack, thatch; both as verb and substantive. Sax. thaeoem^ to
cover; thac, a roof or covering for a house. The original
meaning is straw or rushes; our Saxon ancestors using no
other covering for their houses. The word is still retained in
Yorkshire for a roof, of whatever kind. — Thacker, a thateher.

That, as an adverb of comparison. ** He's not Mo/ dd."

Thatadonnet, a good for nought, the devil. Is it, that ** adomi^
(Fr.) abandoned one? ** Better be in with that adennet than
out." — Yorkshire saymg,

Thauf-cake, or Tharf-gake, a cake made of unfermented dough
—chiefly of rye and barley — rolled very thin, and baked hard.
In some country kitchens these cakes are hung up in large
quantities, with a pole run through the centre. An ingenious
friend conjectures that we have the term from Qbjl. theiafan^
opus habere, necesse habere — necessity cake, or cake made in
urgent haste, as what used to be called soldier* s bread at the
time when soldiers were quartered, during marches, on privi^
families. But, according to Lye, derfibrode^ is an old* Sforth

Digitized by VjOOQIC

THRA 303

of England expression, for unleavened bread. Sax. ihmrf^ vel
iheorfy panis azymus. Wiclif uses therf-lottoes.
Tharf, cold, forbidding, shy. — Tharflt, denoting a cold recep-
tion—unfriendly, y. Somner, thrqfian,
T^BAK, Trgek, thatch ; both as v, and s. Sax. thecan, tegere —
thtgCy tectum. See Thack. — Theaker, Theeker, a thatcher.
Thb-day, for do-day. A Scotticism. V. Jam. Supp. the,
Thke, the thigh. Sax. theoh. Old writers use tkie.
Th£W'd, towardly. Grose. V. LyCj theaw; and Jam. thew.
Thick, intimate, familiar, on friendly terms. " As ihkk as inkle
weavers," said of great intimates^-from the narrowness of the
woof the weavers may sit close — dose inHmates,
Thief-and-reaver-bell, the name given to the tolling of the
great bell of St. Nicholas', Newcastle, which is rung at 8 o'clock
of the evening preceding every fsar — as a sort of invUoHon to
ail rogues and thieves to enter that good town. See Reaver.
Think-on, a very common expression to signify, recollect or re-
member. — Think.me-on, remind me.
Thirl, to pierce, to perforate, to bore. Sax. thirlian, A word

used by Chaucer in the Knight's Tale.
Thivel, a smooth stick, used for various purposes of domestic
economy. Sax. th^el, a stem or stalk. ^ He's a queer stick
to make a thivel of — said of an unsteady, wayward person.
Thole, to wait awhile. Su.-Got. tola, expectare. Also, to
bear, to endure; in which sense it may be derived from Swed.
tSlay to suffer.
Thonder, there, yonder. Sax. geond, geonda.
Thorough-go-nimble, an old term for a diarrhoea.' This loose

«ort of jargon abounds in tiie North.
Thout, Thought, a small portion, a littie more or less. — North,
Thrang, v. to press, to thrust, to squeeze. See Thring.
Thrang, s, a crowd, a throng— pressure of business. Pure

Saxon,
Thrang, o. crowded, much engaged, busily employed.
Thravb, a certain number of sheaves of com; generally, I
bdicvc, twenty four— a quantity of straw, consisting of twelve

Digitized by VjOOQIC

304 THRA

fadMi oxfimdi. Sax. threaf. This word, as remarked by Mr.
Singer in one of his notes to HalPs Satires^ was often used
• metaphorically for a great number or huge collection of other
objects. In this sense we may safely refer to Su.-Got« trafwe^
a heap of any kind. V. Ihre.

Thraw, a pang, an agony. Sax. ikreot afflictio, inflictio.

Thraw, V, to writhe^ to twist — ^to turn. Sax. thrawan^ tor-
quere. — Thraw, s. a turner's lathe.

Thrawcrook, an instrument acting on a swivel for twisting
ropes.

Threap, v. to persist vdiemently in assertion or argument, be it
right or wrong — ^to aver pertinadously in reply to deniaL
* 7%reap him down." Sax. ihreapian^ redai^ere.

Itt*8 not for a man with a woman to Hhreape,
Unless he first give o*er the plea.

Ancient version of« Take ihy M Cloak about Aee,

Thrrap, a, disputed.— Threap-ground, property that is, or has
been, in dispute-<-c(m/eit/tonw terra. In 177I9 an agreement
was entered into for dividing land of this kind near Bambo-
rough, in Northumberland, between Sir Henry Grey and the
Trustees of Lord Crewe and others ; which was confirmed by
an Act of Parliament passed in 1774. Pennant, in his Tours
in Wales, gives a curious picture of a noted common, called
Threap-wood, fi'om time immemorial a place of refuge for the
firail fair, who make it a transient abode, clandestinely to be
fi'eed fi'om the consequences of illicit love. V. Vol. I., p.
2S9.

Thrip-box, or Thrift-box, an earthen pot or vessel in wMch
money is kept by young persons, a saving-box— so made that
money can be put in, but cannot be taken out, without break-
ing it. The same kind of box is used in Scotland, odled a
jwr/ie-pijg.

Thrino, to thrust, to press, to squeeze. Sax. thringan.

Throdden, V, to make grow, to tlirive. Hence, Tbrodden, and
Throddt, plump, fat, well thriven.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

THRU g06

TvamsB, or Thrvm, &ay colketioii of 8h<Ht threads ^ generalfy
the end of the warp in weaving. Norm. Fr. thrammei.
The reader needs hardly be reminded of Bottom's passionate
exclamation—

O &te9, come, come.

Cut thread and Iftniffi.

Throng, a press of busmess. It is the polite pronmidation of
Thrano; which see.

Thropple, Uie windpipe, the throat. Sc. thrappie. V. Jam.

Throstle-cock, the song-thrush. Turdtu musicus. Lmn.

Throw. To throw on thefirey to make, or heap it up.

Throwing-thg-stockin6^ an odd sort of love divination, on the
first evening of a wedding. After the bride has retired, and
while she is undressing, she delivers one of her stockings to a
female attendant, who throws it at random among the com-
pany assembled on diis festive occasion. The person, on whom
it happens to alight, will, it is supposed, be the next to enter
into the blessed state of matrimony. Another, and more cu-
rious, though perhaps now obsolete mode, was for the guestp
invited to repair to Uie bridal chamber, where it was customary
for the happy pair to sit up in bed, in full dress, excludve of
their shoes and stockings. One of the bride's maids then Uxik
the bridegroom's stocking; and, stan(fing at the bottom of the
bed with her back towards it, threw the stocking with the left
hand over the right shoulder, aiming at the face a/ the bride'
groom. This was done by all the females in rotation. When
any of them were so fortunate as to hit the object, it was a
sign that they were soon to be married. The bride's stocking
was thrown by the young men at the bride in like manner ;
from which a similar prognostic was taken.

Thruff-stone, properly Through-stone, a stone which passes
through the entire breadtli of & dry, or irregularly built, stone
wall, in order to bind and make it more firm — a band stone.
A much regretted gentleman of Newcastle was accustomed,
when claret and port wine were in circulation together, to take
every third glass, of port which he facetiously called a thruf.

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306 THRU

Tbrupp-stons, a flat tomb stone. Sax. tknih^ loculua, Hurcor
phagus. Lye. Sc. thruch-stane.

Thrumbub, or Thubible, to handle awkwardly — to thumb,

Thrunty, stout, robust, strong-buiit. " A thrunty fellow.**

Thrusty, thirsty. A word used by Chaucer. Sax. tkurstig.

Thud, the noise of a fall, a heavy stroke — causing a blunt and
hollow sound. Sax. thoden, turbo, lioise, din. Somner.

Thumping, great, huge, large ; as a thumping 6aim— also obvious,
notorious ; as a thumping lie.

Thunderbolt, a name given to the Belemmte, So called from
its shape — ^resembling a dart. This singular fossil shell is
very cominon in the rocks about Whitby ; but is rarely found
entire. See Young's Hist, of Whitby, Vol. II., p. ^S2; and
Greology of the Yorkshire Coast, by the same auUior, p. 256 .
& seq.

Trunner, thunder. Sax. thuner, Dan. thorden^ as Mr. Thom-
son remarks, signified the voice or din of Thor, and Goth.
thordunur was Jupiter Tonans. Mr. Wilbraham has thunna^
s, and V,

Thur, Thor, these, those. Isl. theyr, illi; thaer, ills. Sc.
thir,

Thwaite, land grubbed up and cleared of wood for cultivation^
an assart. Norm. Fr. twaite. The word, in the composi-
tion of local names, is very frequent in Cumberland and
Westmorland, and also in some parts of Lancashire.

Thwite, to cut, chip, or hack with a knife. See Whet.

Thwittle, a kind of knife. Sax. hwitel. Our venerable poet,
Chaucer, writes it thwytel. See Whittle.

TiBBT, Isabella. We have all read of << Tibbie Fowler o' the
glen," who had so many followers, that ''a' the lads were
wooing at her."

TiCE, to entice. Old English, tyce, in the same sense.

TiD, Mid, Miseray, Garung, Palm, Pastb-egg-day, popular
names for Sundays in Lent. Three of them are obviously
f^m the old Latin service, Te Deum, Mi Deus, Misere meL
The rest elucidate themselves.

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TIMS W

Tied, obliged, compelled, sure, certain. ^ It's tied to be 00'*—
« Tm tied to go"—" He's tied to make money— «• He's tied U>
lose his way."

TiB-poT, or Tyb-top, a garland.

TiFFY-TAFFY, a difficult piece of work. In Craven, an insignifi-
cant trifler. V. Cray. Gloss. 2d. edit.

TiFLE, Ttfell, to entangle, to mix and knot threads together,
' to ruffle. Sax. twy-fyldan, duplicace. V. Jam. Supp. tt^,

Ttft^ a fit of anger, or rather the act of quarrelling, ill humour.
— Tifty, ill-natured, petulant, quarrelsome.

TiG| a sli^t touch; as a mode of salutation — a play among
children, on separating for the night, in which every one en-
- deavours to get the last touch ; called also. Last Bat.

T166T-TOUCH-W00D, a play where children pursue each other,
but are exempt (by the law of the game) from capture while
towking wood. L&e Tio, it probably means a slight connec-
tion fi'om Sax. Han, ligare.

TiKS, or Tykb, a blunt or vulgar fellow — affording grounds of an
unfavourable impreseaon. Also a name for a dog* Tijk, ac-
cording to Mr. Steevens, is the Runick word for a little or
worthless dog.

If you can like,
A Yorkshire ^«1

Carey, The Wonder^ an koneH Vorlahkemam,

Till, to. Dan. Sw. and IsL til. Mr. Todd has shown it to be

old.
Tiller, to send out shoots ; as wheat. Dur. Germ, theilen, to

separate into parts. V. Jam. Supp.
TtifERSbifE, TiMHERSOME, feaHul — timorous. Sc. timersome.
ThasERf timber. So spelled in Skene's Lawes and Actes of

Parliament. Swed. timmer.
IbfSE^ V. to sift.—TiMSE, s, a sieve. But. teemt. Fr. tamis.

Ital. tamiao. All perhaps jfrom Lat. tympanum, stretched like

a drum« and that fi*om Gr* rv^rr^, to beat.

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808 TiNia

Tuns, to shut, to inclose. Sax. tifrmn^ ckudere. Alsa, to lose.

V. Jam. tme, tyne; and Supp. ^ne.
TiNG-TONG, the little bell of a church. Fr. tmtomn^ a tingtii^;
or Teut. tinghe-4angheny tintinare. ^ The primary aign^catioii
of ting-iong^ an ingenious literary correspondent renrnks^
** was only expressive of Uie sound of a little bell— ^e sound
of a iBTgd ode beidg termed dmg'dang, from its beii^ ommv
hollow. THng-tong has^ therefore^ by transference! isome to
signify the bell itself."
Tinkler, a tinker. Various extraordinary feats have been as-
cribed to our andent tinkers. The celebrated WuU JMoA
was for many yevs king of this honourable pr^ssion in the
Northk He had a don, not less celebrated — Jamie AUan^ the
Northumberland piper. WiU Faa^ the late king, was a fine
old man.

Nae mair he*ll scan wi* imxious eye

The sandy shoies of winding Reed,
Nae mair he'll tempt the finny fry.
The King o' Tinkkrt^ Allen's dead !

Roxhy^ Reedwater MinHreL

Tinted, lost, neglected. See Tine.

Tippy, smart, fine, modish — tip top. ** Tij^pi/ BobJ*

TiRLy to make a slight scratching nobe — ^to turn over the leaves

of a book quickly — ^to strip off a roof.
TiTE, soon, easily, well. — Titter, sooner, rather, earlier. See

AsTiTE, Asty; and Jam. tyte.
Titivate, to restore, to renovate — to make " old things lo^ as

good as new," like thd ** renovators of old dothes," as they

now style themselves.
Titling, a small bird attendant on the cutkoo, Also^ OBd who

obsequiously follows another. Hence, the gmok and ik€ Ut-

Hngf a ludicrous designation given to such duumfjiru
TittV, a diminutive of sister. " Black TUfy BeL"
Tiv, to. — Tiy-a-tee, just the things exactiy^«4x> a T.
ToAD-Brr, a disease among cattie^ absiff^y in^uted to the prison

Digitized by VjOOQIC

TOMM 90t

of toads; and agpdnst which hutraikm hj ncedr/trc is emplogr*
€d. Dr. WHlan mentions a recent instance of the practice, af
oceuning near Sedbergh, in Yorkshire^

ToAD-tJNDER-A-HARROw, a proverbial saying of considerable an-
tiquity ; meant to express the comparative situation of a poor

. fellow, whose wife, not satisfied with the mere hen-pecking of
her helpmate, takes care that all the world shall witness the
indignities she puts upon him ; or any other similar state of
misery. ^ Ow& mony maisters, ower mony maisters [ as tbtt
toad said when under the harrow.'*

Too, a name for that well-known and crafty animal, the fox.
In consequence of what is stated in Dr. Jamieson's Supple-

. ment, it is proper to mention that this word is now in com-

. mon use in Northumberland; and that it was inadvertentiy
omitted in transcribing the former edition of this Glossary for
the press.

Toddy, a mixture of whisky and warm water.-*- JVbriA. There is
a tree in the East Indies from which a liquor called ioddy is
extracted. V. Herbert's Travels, p. ^9,

TODiifi, or Toddle, to totter, to walk unsteadily like a child.
Germ. troUeln, to totter. Swed. ttdia^ to waddle.

To^en hame, todkn hame,

Coudna my love come todkn hame ?— 0&2 Scottish Song,

ToD-LowRBv, an expression used to frighten children. **M.j
word, here's Tod4owrey coming." Sibbald, I observe, views
it as the dreary or doleful fox, as he is still commonly called,
fironS Teut. treurigh, maestus, dolens, dolendus.

To-FALL, TwoFALL, or Teefall, a small building adjoining to, and
with the roof resting on, the wall of a larger one~a shed at ike

' end x^ a farm house, in which are usually placed implements of
agricultive. In the latter sense, however, it is often pronoun-
ced Toif^. Teut. toe^vaSen^ adjungere se. See Tee-fau*.

Toll-loll, so so, in good health. A gentleman residing near
me—^though no singer-rconstantly uses this expression,

T^Moir, a littie loa& "" A iokHer's Umrny^

Digitized by VjOOQIC

Sia TOMM

To«inr<4XMLCH, a name given to the looeh by boys.
ToMiinr-NODDT, the coulter-neb, <»r puffin. Alea arctica,' This

remarkable bird is a visitant of the Fame Islands^ where it

breeds.
ToM-TROT, candy made of treacle. Same as Taffy.
Too, to, shut, close. " Put the door too ?"— " It it iooJ* Dut.

toe. Is de deur toe? V. Tooke on preposition To, Vol. L,

p. 350.
TooM, or TuAM, empty. Dan. tomme, to empty. ** A toom

purse.*' — ** A tuam cart." An old word, still in general use.
ToORCAN, to wonder, or muse on what one means to do. Grose,

from Ray. Dr. Jamieson refers to Isl. torkendr, notu diffidlfs,

item deformatus. Haldorson.
ToozLE, or TouzLE, to pull about; especially af^)iied to any

- rough dalliance with a female. Touse is an old word for^ ta
tear, to drag, to haul.

Top, good^ excellent; — ^Topper, any thing superior — a clever, or

extraordinary person ; but genendly in an ironical sense.
Toppenlt, in good health, f' He's topperdy to day."
TopsMAN, the head man or manager, the chief hind or baHiC
ToRFEL, or Torfle, to founder, to fall, to die. V. Jam.
ToRious, notorious. ** A 'toriotu liar that."
ToRMiT, or TuRMiT, a common pronunciation of turnip.
Tosh, a projecting or unseemly tooth — ^a tusk.
TossicATBD, Tosticated, perplexed; aai£intojeicated.
Tote, the whole. The whole tote, a common pleonasm. Lat.

totus. Sc. tot, V. Jam. Supp.
TofET, irritable, bad tempered. Sc. toutie, ^ A tofie hody^
To-THE-FORE, alive, in being, forthcoming, in store.
Touch, a feat or trick. — North, " That is a clever touch,*'
ToinroHBR, a portion or dowry, dower. — Cun^. — Toker, in other

places, means the same. Y. Jam. tocJier.
TowuNO, a mischievous amusement among the boys in Newcas-

- tie, during the evenings of the horse^f^irs. It consists of whip-
ping up and down the different ** ehoke Hi hUi* shown on
those occasions. It has been prtM^tised from time immenkniaY/

Digitized by VjOOQIC

TBIC 311

and is, no doubt, the remains of some ancient custom con-
, nected with a toll exacted on horses so kept in the &ir.

To- YEAR, a provincialism for this year; as we say to day,

Traike, v. to drop the wings as do poultry oiit of health.

Traike, «. a sheep found dead, and salted for food — a dish in
Northumberland.

Traiky, Traiking, in a declining state of health. ^ He's been
traiking lang, poor man." V. Jam. traik,

Taasi, a small carriage on wheeU — so distinguished from a sledgel
The word is Gothic, and is fully explained in Callander^s
notes on the old poem of Christ's Kirk on the Green, p. I74l

Tramp, a mechanic travelling in search of employment.

Trampers, mendicants who traverse extensive tracts of country
—^soliciting from door to door, and finding subsistence as they
can, and lodgings where they may.

Translators, cobblers who buy old boots and shoes and make
them up anew for sale. The Castle Garth, in Newcastle, is
the Grand Emporium of this learned and gentle craft.

Transmogrified, transformed, metamorphosed. A vulgar cor-
ruption from transmute.

Trash, to tramp about with fatigued Swed. traska, to jog, to
trudge. Sometimes, as a verb active, to harass. — Trashed,
adjectively^is almost daily applied to a man, or even any beast,
weary with travelling — ^wom out.

Treeksin, or Trewksin, three weeks since.— Xanr. Mr.
Brougham, who communicated this word to me, says, it is not
used in West, or Cumb, In the Cheshire dialect, they have
threeweek for three weeks, making a singular substantive of it,
as is customary in the yior A fortnight, V. Wilbraham.

Treet, a species of bran. See Bye-bootings.

Trew, a truce. Sax. treowa, treowe. Hence, Trews, Trewes,
the justiciary meetings before the Wardens of the Northern
marches, to hear complaints and administ^ justice ; during
whidi time there was a truce, or cessation of hostilities. V.
Nicolson, Leges Marchiarum, ;>£»nm.

TmcacT^^arfuly cunning. FuU of trieh^trickith, i

Digitized by VjOOQIC

fit TRIO

Twaa, true, hiAM.

For Geordj aw'd dee— for my loyalty'fl iri^.
And aw own he's a good leuken mannie ;

But if wor Sir Matthew ye buss iv his wig.
By gocks ! he wad leuk just as canny.

Song, Canny Ncweand.

Trio, o. to fill, to stuC^Tmi^ a. full. y« Todd'a John.

Tila» neat, trim; or rstiber trioked out, or nhafc is called Jliv.

Tsw, to chaslasc;, to beat soimdly. "* Til trim your jacket.^

Tbip> a siB^ ^ock ; as of aheep. V. Jamieson.

TRippiT-ANiMXMTy a game akailar to spell and oit^^^Newe,
Called Tsimr-jiND-BACK in parts of North. The trippit is a
anaU piece of wood obtusely pointed-HMniediing ^ce a shoe
— hollow at one end, and haring a tail a little elevated at &e
othar, which is struck with the buckgtich. The recreodOB is
also called BucxsncK-apELL-AND-OKE. I was once iadiiied
to think that the buckstidE, being bvcMid at an ead Kke €b/^ha
if m gun, might be demed from Germ, kuchse, a firelock; but
the name is probably antecedent to firdodte; and »ay, per*
hapis, be conndered as the bough ttiok ; i, e. flexible siti<^ V.
Tooke, ad v. burom.

Just, Trtst, a -fair or market for black cattle, hones, abe^,
&c. — the appointed place of meeting ibr those who design to
sell or buy. We have Lotig Framlington Tritt, and Feltoa
Tryai, in Northumberland. Sc. tfyst, an appointed meedng.
y. Jam. Supp.

Trod, a beaten foot path through a field, a road. Sax. 4rod,
a path. Teut. irede, vesti^um. Isl. ifwi,

Troke, to barter«i*to truck. Fr. troquer, to exchange.

Xrolubags, a vulgar term for tripe. The roll or complicatioii of
the intestines. Germ. troUen, to roH.

Tbones, a steel-yard. Id. /rtfaa, gnis. Lat. ^rona. V« Fleta,
Lib..IL, c 12. Since the publication cC the &nt editk>n oi
this work, it has been remarked to me, I think justly, liiat
trones is properly an instrument for w^ghiog goodiB^ uaiMdly

Digitized by VjOOQIC

toss 3^3

ftpi^idd, in contradistinctiofn to steel-yard, to a ikde cylindri*
cal machine, in which the compression of a spiral spring indi-
cates the quantum of appended wdght.

Trumph, a trump at cards. Swed. trumfy the winning card.
Trump is but a corruption of triumph.

Trunk:, a vulgar term for a trump at cards. See Truhph.

TuBBER, a cooper. A maker oftubs.

TuE, to labour long, to work hard, to be fiitigued by repeated or
continued exertion. Fr. tuer, se iuer^ originally to kill; but
used also for, to fiitigue or weary. II le tue, he wearies him-
self; or, in North country language, he tues himsel£ ** Tmag
OH^* — ^toiling away. ** A tumg lif^^''-^ laborious life. " A
hm^ souT — a hard working person. ** Sare tnei* — great

' difficulty in accomplishing any thing. '' We have got here at

■^ last; but we had a great tueJ* A London lady, once so ad-

• dressed by a female from the county of Durham, mistook the
great tue for some carriage peculiar to the North of England.

TuE, to tumble about, to ruffle, to rumple. Sax. teogan, to tug.
"Ye'll^tt^aUmycap."

TuEL, a species of bantering; or rather a tendency to squabble
accompanied with it-*any troublesome intermeddling. ^* Din^'
na haud me no a ^we/.'*— dorit trouble me so.

Tdg, to rob, to destroy. Sax. teogan, *^ To tug a nett,**

TuiFFiT, the lapwing, or plover. See Pee-wit, Peez-weep.

TuiFFiT-LANjp, bad land, only fit for the tuiffit.

Tutf, to separate or card wool for the first time. Grose, from
Ray, says, to mix wool of different colours.

TuNDERy tinder. Su.-Got. ^tt»<fcr, fomes. V. Ihre.

Tup, *. a ram. Swed. tupp^ a male, a cock. — Tup, v. to give the
ram. Our great dramatic poet, who sometimes rather cliose
to be exact than delicate in his allusions, uses the verb, in a
more extended sense, in the play of Othello; but the passage
k too , strongly m^ked with the taste of the time to warrant
quotation here.
TuBBOT, a common, though improper, name for the halibut.
Tussle, or Tustue, a confused struggle. See Toozle.

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314 TWA

TwA* the vutgir proauBcwriop, in soipe places, of two; ace^d-

ing to the ancie&t Saxon forau
TwANOy a quick poll, a sudden seizure— a tweak, or twitck.
TwANO, a sudden paroxysm of pain — a paag.
TwATTLB, to paty to make raucb of, to fondle, V. Groae*
TwBA, two. Sax, iwekr^TwEMBOMMp two in company*
TwEA*FACED, iwo-foccdy dccettful* Sax. twea-feald, di^ks.

""A/tcwtf/ncvdyap*" "* A Ikrm/im^ Mally Jackson.'*
TwiUi^ a qi^— also a 4pool jto wii^d yam upon* V.Bay,
TwiLT, a quilt or bed cover. V. Todd's Johnson, to /ti«2i:
TwiMB, to cry, Probably a variation oivMnes which maj^be

traced to Sa««<aK>t. Atwna, to mounu— Twnnr, frefc&l, un-

casy*
TwiMTEB, a female sheep of hoo wmUn old. Sax. fwy^wmter^

duos annoa natus. The ancient Norwegians computed by

winters; and so did die Scotch in foimer times.
Twist, a votaciotts appetite. '' Whataiwtf^tfaebaimhaar'
TwTDcn, to tie closely, to festen so as to cause pain. Sax.

twicdan,
TwtTGH>BBLL, the earw^. From the ferccfis.
TwiTTBB, to tremble, to be in a state of uneasmess. Y . Bay.

Germ. zxUemy to shiver or quake.
Ttak, to take.— T^TAK-EPCBR, to imitate ot resemble. *^ The

bairns /^ ^fier their dad.**- T'tak-cp, to relbm. ** Hell

fifok «p"— Mud of an exteavagant, thoughtless person, likdy

torcfixm.

U.

Ua, to feel abhorrence at-rrUoBOMB^ disgualang, exciting abhu*-
rence. — North, The word is from Sax* ogOy fri^t; wlranoe
ugly: u e. uglike, or fright-lika

I?M, ITm, or UainiM, anind]%«nt careless manner of aaaentiBg
to what is said; pronounced with the mouth shut, Ae bat

Digitized by VjOOQIC

UMRI 313

^Udrfe short : veiy oohuimmi in Newcastle. A Hteraiy friend
suggests a derivation from utnpk, ascribed satkicaO j to the re-
spectable Sodety of Friends.

Uk, one— referring to an individual. ^ He's a real bad tm."

Umbethink, to reflect; often implying a change of opinion.. Y.
Wilbraham.

VimmDAXLB, unadvisaUe, oncounsellable. A Scottish term.

Uncanny y g^ddy, careless, imprudent. It is alsb applied by the
superstitious to one supposed to possess supematmral influence.
Sc. no eamy, — Uncannily^ unthinkingly^ thoughtlessly*

Uia>BRCViiSTAND, to Understand. A mere vulgar change^

UndigB't, undressed, undecked* V. Todd's Johnson^

Unforbidden, disobedient ; said of a child vrho is so.

Unfbem'd, unkind. See Frsm, Fbem'd.

Ungbab, to unharness. ^ Ungear the yoki^*'^loof» the horses.

UNHONBST,<fishonourable, dishonest ¥r. inhoneftei Let* tft^o-
neffw. This is an old word, still in use in the North.

Unket^ UmaD, strange^ unusual* Sax. wwutf^ incognitusy alie-
nus. Swed. okdn<L Sc «fico.^UNKBi;s» UnkidSj news,
strange things. Sc. uncos,

Unletes, di^lacers or destroyers of the ^ruler's produce, y •
Grose, nnleffd, or wdead.

UNLtt!KED-cuB^ an ignorant, unpolished youth. Firom the old
story of the bear's cub bdng bom/i shapeless mass, wfakh is
lidbsd into form by the dam, aqiCording to those, who. Sir
Thomas Browne says, give more credit unto Aristode and
Fliny than experience and their proper senses. Y. Yulgar
Errors, fol. 1650, p. 95.

Unkackly, ill-shapen, clumsy in appearance — unmakeUke.

Unpossiblb, for impossible. In frequent use among the vulgar
in the North. Not in Johnson ; but Mr. Todd has given it id
place in his valuable insertions. It is the genuine word, dnd
well authorised.

Unbid, to rid. Here the particle is of no force. — Unrip, a cOm-
flttM word in the Nbrth-^authorised by some of our best
wrilers«H» similarly circumstanced. See tiie very amunng

Digitized by VjOOQIC

316 UKSN

discourse on the diflerence between rip and unrip in dial most

deliglitfiil book— Walton's Angler.
Unsbteck, to open a door by lifting up the sneck, or latch.
Unsoncy, Unsonst, careless^ luckless, unpleasant, disagreeable.

Sc. utuoruie. See Soncv, or SoNsr.
Upbraid, to rise on the stomach, as well as to rqproach. A

gentleman has reminded me that reprove \a the gented word,

if genteel can be about such a matter.
Upcast, r. to upbraid. — Upcast, *. a taunt, reproach.
Upcasting, a rising of the clouds above the horizon; especially

as threatening rain.
Uphad, Uphaud, Uphowd, to warrant, or uphxM against defects.
Uppish, loft}-, aspiring, consequential, jealously proud, captious.

Su.-Got. ypp^i superbus, vanus. Ihre.
Upsides, even with, quits. To be uptidet with any one, is to

threaten vengeance for a real or supposed injury or affiront.
Uptack, r. to comprehend, to understand. Swed. upiaga, to

take up, to adopt.*— Uptack, t, comprehension, understanding.
Upwith, on an equal or superior footing — quit with.
Urchin, a hedge-hog. Chaucer uses urchon, V . Nares.
Ure, the udder of a cow or sheep. See Yure.
Urled, stinted in growth. — Urling, a dwarf. V. Ray, Sc.

urlueh, having a feeble and emaciated appearance, seems allied.

But see Jam. Supp. worlin.

V.

Vage, a journey, a voyage. Sc vage, viage, veyage, Fr. voyage,
denotes either a voyage or a journey.

Vaig, to wander, to roam. Old Fr. vaguer, — Vaiger, a wan-
derer, a vagrant, a stroller.

Vahper, to vapour or swagger, to make an ostentatious i^pear-
ance. The nearest affinity I can trace is Welsh gwemp.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

VOKY 91J

splendid. But a friend prefers Ital. awampare, to blaze, to
bum.

VABDiEy opinion^ judgment. A corruptiott of verdict,

Vabment, vermin — a term of reproach, particularly to a duld.
' It is also a sort of cant word for knowing ; as a varmeni chap,
a knowing one.

Vabra, VAMiy, VuREY, provincial pronunciations of very.

Vast, elliptically for, vast deal — ^a great quantity or number*
" A vast of news." ** A vast of money." ** A vast o£ sheep."

Venmel^ a sewer, sink, or drain. Probably from kennel, an open
water course; or Fr. venelle, petite rue.

ViBWLY, sightly, good-looking, striking to the view.

ViEWSOBfE, striking, pleasant to the sight, handsome to behold.

Vine-pencil, a black lead penciL Perhaps from the metal bdng
first embedded in vine as it is now in cedar-wood.

Virgin's-garland. Many country churches in the North of
England are adorned with these garlands; in token, says
Bourne, of esteem and love, and as an emblem of reward in
the heavenly Church, They are made of variegated coloured
paper, representing flowers, fastened to small sticks crossing
each other at the top, and fixed at the bottom by a circular
hoop. From the centre is suspended the form of a woman's
^ove cut in white paper, on which the name and age of the
party conunemorated by these frail memorials are sometimes
written. The custom, once probably very gen^, of placing
flowers in the coffin with the deceased, is still preserved
among our Pagers. Gay, whose Pastorals represent the real
rustic manners of his time, describes most exactly both the
virgin's garland and the flower-strewing. There is, as re-
marked by Dr. Drake, something so strikingly emblematic, so
delightfully soothing in these old rites, that though the proto-
type be probably heathen, thdr disuse is to be regretted.

VoKY, damp, moist, juicy. JVokie occurs in Pairs Ploughman.
— VoKY, is also used in the sense of gay, cheerful.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

31$ WABB

W.

WabblB) r. to Yacillate^ to tedf to ware. Teat wabeleni A
laq^ unwieldy fish is sud to wabble in the water; and growing
corn on a windy day likewise fcwiM^f •— Wabbl% «. an nn-
steady rotatory motion*

Wabstbr, a Northern term for a weaver. See Wehsteb*

Wad, bladL lead.— Cumd. yigricafabrilU. Pure Saxon. This
ore has been erroneously supposed to be thepmgHu or me-
lanteria of Dioscorides;

Wad, woad used by dyers, hatii Hnetoria. Sax. wad. The
ancient BiitoQS stained theur bodies with the juice of l^is
plant, to make them appear more terrible in war. But wad
and w^ad, I am informed, are in Yoiktthire diflerent tbiiigst
woad bdng the blue substitute for indigo ; and wad, Ao raeda
tmcioria, a ydlow die.

Wad, the vulgar word for would. ^ He tuad come."

Wadd, a forfeit; eqpedally in the game called waddi^ or forfeits.
— North. Sax. iMu^ pignus.

Wadbn, Waudbn, yottog and active—vigorous in limb. **A
wadenlad." '< ^aiK&fis of her age." IsL M<Ur, vatidas, po-
tens.

WADLBB-wiFBi the keeper of a register office for servants— a
term, I believe, peculiar to Newcattie.

Wab-mkJ QrWAB's-Ms! a frequent inteijection of lamentatiOT,
equivalent to woe u fne— a pure Saxon expresdon*— 10« u me.
In Scotland they have dowie an^ woe, solitary and metaacfaoly.

Waff, an apparition in the exact resemblance of a person, sup-
posed to be seen just before or soon af^^r death. It may be
firom the airy form of the object; a w^ or transient view
being called a waff but see Jamiespn, wraith, I have oon^
versed with well-educated people, who have gravely ttid
unequivocally asserted that they have seen these spectral
appearances of their deceased friends and relations.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

WAIT 319

Wavflb, to wBTe» to fluctuate. Identical with Wabble. Sax.
iffofian, vadllare. Teut. weyfelen^ fluctuare. Swed. w^fta,
vibnure.

WAFFLERythe green sand-piper; so called from its undulating
odd flight.

Waq, to beckon with the* hand— to shake. Sax. teugiaa.—
Wag-hands, to shake hands among SoMrom,

Wag-at-^he-waw, Waggeb, a cheap wooden dock of German
manu&ctore. Perhaps from the pendulum bdng seen wa^mg
against the walL

WAflBy pay for service. Literally gage^ baigun, engagement.
Both Johnson and Nares say, that it is used only in the plu«
raL In many parts of the North, however,- the smgular is in
common use.

Waifikgbr, an estray, a waif. Law Lat. ummum,

Waibsb, Wbasch, Werch, thin, watery, weak, insipid. It is
also used to express a griping in the bowels.— Waibsh-brbad,
bread not sufficiently salted. Weeruh is old in our language.
¥. Todd's Johnson.

Wait, wot. Sax. wal ; from nntan^ to know.

Waitbb, m Waeter^ the Newcastle pronundation of water.
Sax. uHBter. The a and €b were interchangeably used. V.
Bosworth's Saxon Grammar, p. 51.

Wafth, or Wbaith, the ^ectral ai^>earance (^a person about to
die, or recently dead. V. lidOnstrdsy of Scottidi Border, p.
Gxxxvi.

Wahs, nmaidana who parade and play by nig^t in the streets
about the tame of Christmas and tiie new year. One of the
old towers, in Newcastle, was formerly called the Waits'
Tower, and was the place of meeting of these itinerant musi-
dans. They used to be the privileged minstrels at wed<fiag8
and feasts. Thdr playing to Oliver Cromwell, while that
eaaraofdhuffy diaractar was entertained at dinner, on his route
to or from Scotland, is still traditionally remembered. The
term would seem to be derived from McBd-Got. wahU^ vi^lia,
excubis; tiiese waits being andentiiy viewed as a aort of

Digitized by VjOOQIC

3^ WAKE

watchmen. Wait is explained in Prompt. Farv., speculator,
vigO. So, in old French, waite is garde, sentinelle.
Wake, v. to watch by a corpse, to sit up with a person all nigfat

See Lakr-wake, or LrsE-WAKE.
Wake, t, a country feast, a rural fair. See Hutchinson's I&s-
tory of North., Vol. II., p. 26; Brand's Pop. Antiq., VoL L,
p. 429; and Henick's Hespeiides, p. 300, 301.
Wake, o. weak* Sax. wdpc, " As mike as water."
Wale, Wau^ Weal, v, to select, to choose, to sort. Siu-Got.
ffwE^o, eligere. Swed. vaija, to choose. Germ, wahlen, to pid^
out. — ^Wale, s, choice, best part. Su.-Got. wal, electio.
Dan, valg. choice.
Wauc-mill, a fulling-mill. Germ. waOmuhle, Before the in-
troduction of machinery it was customary to use the feet in
fulling cloth. The Pullers and Dyers of Newcastle were
anciently called Walkers. ** Wend to the walk mylne^
Ordinary, 1477.
Wall, Walle, to boil. Teut. wallen. Su.-Got. waella.
Wall-eyed. In those parts of the North, with which I am best
acquainted, persons are said to be waU-eyed^ when llie white
of the eye is very large, and to one side. On the borders,
** ttcfolki* we considered unlucky. The term is also occa-
nonally apphed to horses with similar eyes, though its more
general acceptation seems to be when the iris of the eye is
. white, or of a very pale colour. A wall-eyed horse sees per-
fectly well. 13ie author of the Gray. Gloss, explains wall^een,
to mean white or green eyes ; and does not consider the ety-
mology very satisfactory, either in Nares or Todd. Their
ideas certainly are at variance with the Northern signification
of the word. Grose defines it, ^ an eye with little or no sight,
. all white like a plaistered wall."

Wallop, to move quickly and with much agitation of the body
or clothes. Teut. wal^oppe, cursus gradarius. The word is
also applied to any thing moving quickly in boiling water — ^to
bubble up; in which sense it may be referred to Sax. wealan^
to boil. Grerm. wallen, to move up and down as in ebullition.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

WAKG 9»l

U. 100100, to bubble up. Whence the potwallopers of the
Cornish boroughs— those seductions of power too tempting
for patriotisni to resist— take their title.

Walloping, a slatternly, slovenly manner.

Wallow, insipid. See Welsh. Also Wairsh.

Wailcp, o. to beat. — Wallup, «. a blow. Rather, perhi^s,
Whallup; fix>m wheal, the mark of a blow.

Waixupino, strong, athletic. ^ A great wailuping chap."

Walk, o. to seethe or boO. V. Wilhraham. — Walm, s, a slight
boiling. Willan.

Walt, to totter, to lean one way, to overthrow. V. Jam. welf.

Wame, the stomach, the belly. M(£.-Got tciam^a, uterus. Sax*
wambf venter; whence, womb, — Wame-ili^ an ache or pain in
the intestines. Sax. wamb-adl, dolor ventris.

Wan, a corruption of wand. ** A yardrtoan,*' — ** A mUl-wanJ*

Wanchanct, unhicky-»4qpplied in Northumberland to a mis-
chievous boy or girl. In a somewhat diffisrent sense Bums
has

Wae worth the man wha first did shape
That vile wm^iaacie thing a rape !

Wandle, supple, pliant — ^when spoken of a person, a^e, nimble.
— ^Wandt, long and flexible; like a watuL

Wang-tooth, dens molaris. Pure Saxon. It is the catch, or
yang-tooth; wang, or vang, bdng to catch, or fang. Infang"
thef, and <m(/aii^^?^ancient privil^s of trying thieves,
caught in or out of the jurisdiction — ^may be referred to the
same source. So, perhaps, may the name of Mrs. Quickly's
bailiff: * Good I^Iaster Fang, hold him sure." 2d. Part
King Henry lY . — Before the use of seals, according to Vers-
tegan, persons pasong deeds bit the wax with the wang'tootk.
He quotes part of a supposed grant, in verse, from William I.,
the whole of which is given by Lewis, in his Dissertation on
the Antiquity and Use of Seals m England, p. 19.

In witnes of the sothe,

Ich ban biten this wax with my wang-ioihe.

Tt

Digitized by VjOOQIC

Zn WANK

But then can be no doubt that this pretended metrical diar-
ter is a gross and impudent forgery, ance it represents the
Norman Conqueror as making a grant in English before the
language existed.

Wankle, Wankellt, uncertfdn, variable ; as wankle, or vHnnkd-
fy weather. Sax. wanel^ instaibilis, vadllans. Germ, wankettf
to change. It also means wedk, loose, unsteady.

Want, v. to do without, to spar& ^ Lend me your spectacles?^
** I cannot ufard them." Soinetimes, not to have had; as a
mother will say, her " child vkmts the small pox."

Want, s, Ther^t a want ; implying a mental imbedlity.

Wanweard, a profligate— -a gradeless, or unworthy person.

Wapfsr, or Whapper, any thiiig large; both in a literal and
metaphorical sense. See Wsacking; and Whacker.

War, worse. Su.-Got. warre. Dan. vceire, Sax« wterra,
Sc. waur. ** War and war'* — ^worse and worse.

War, take care, beware. ** War belowJ* Sax. warian, cavere.

Warble, a sort of worm that breeds in cattle — a swelling on the
back of an animal. Insects are in the habit of depositing
their eggs upon cattle. Wherever they puncture the skin for
this purpose, a small knot or warble arises, which serves for
the nidus of the young insect so long as it continues in its

• worm state, and ^ves great pain to the animal. Dr. Jamieson

. derives the term from Sax. weary Teut. weer^ a knot or bunch.

WaRpDay, every day in the week except Sunday — worhmg-day,
Swed. hvardag, working-day, every day.

Ware, v. to expend or lay out money. V. Jam. Supp. war.

Ware, t, seapweed. Sax. war, alga marina. V. Grose, weir.

Ware, *. delf; or rather, delft. '' White ware.*' ^^^ Brown
ware"

Ware, v. to ache. — ^Wark, s. a pain or ache. Sax. w^erc^ dolor.
Swed. wdrk, pain, smart.

Wark, V, to work. " He can ndther wark nor want.*' — ^Wark-
FOLKs, labourers, work-people.

Warld, the world, — ^Warldly, worldly— lfl:e other people.

Warm, to beat. A cant term — not quite local.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

WATH 323

Wabn, Wabnd, Wabnt, to warrant. " At^t warn kmJ*

Warn, to g^ve notice. I am induced to insert this word on
account of its peculiar local applicaticm in the lower vales d£
the Tees, a river, which, from the rapidity of its upper course,
and from the numerous streams it recdves from hill and moor-
land, often rises suddenly. In this district to warn the water,
is to give the inhabitants timely notice of a flood.

Wabp, to open. Sax. avoarpan, ejicere. A hen is said to warp
when she lays.

Wabse, worse. ** Wane and warteP Moe*-Got. wmr*. Chau-
cer uses tc^r^tf.— Warst, the worst.

Warsrn, to grow worse. ^ He^^wanefii deadly P SeeWoBSBN.

Wabsle, to strive, to wrestle. Tent, weneUn. V. Kilian.

Wasting, or Waisting, a consumption, a decline.

Wa't, indeed, certmnly. " WtCt mV."— indeed it is. It is the
Saxon waty from vMan ; whence our old verb wot^ to know.

Watching on St. Mark's Evb. Young rustics will sometimes
watch, or at least pretend to watch, through the lught in the
church porch, with a view of seeing the ghosts of those, who are
to die in the parish during the next year, pass by them ; which
they are said to do in their usual dress, and predsely in the
order of time in which they are doomed to depart. A person,
supposed to have made this vigil, is. Dr. Willan states, a ter-
ror to his neighbours; for, on the least offence received, he is
apt, by significant hints and grimaces, to insinuate the speedy
death of some cherished friend or relative. Persons are said
to have actually died from their imaginary fears on the occa-
sion. Some of the young g^ls, too, follow the ancient method
of sowing hemp^eed; while others prepare the dumb cdke^ or
dreaming bread.

Watch-webs, identical with Stbaly-clothes, and Scotch-and-
Engush.

Water-brash, a disease in the stomach. Perhaps from the
bursting or discharge of aqueous humour.

Wath, Warth, a ford over a river. Sax. wad; from wadan, to
wade or pass through water.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

9f4 WATT

Wattles, teat4ike excrescences that hang from the cheeks of
swine; as well as the meanings assigned in Todd's Johnson.

Waw, to caterwaul, to cry as a cat. V . Jamieson.

Waw, Wo, a wdXL.'^ North. Sax. looA. In Lantasbire and
Yorkshire it is wogh.

Wazen-chubnbl, or Waxing*kbrnel^ a swelling in the g^ds
of the neck in young growing persons. War, to grow — from
Sax. weaxottf Swed. coxa— -is in general use.

Wax-end, a term for the waxed thread used by cprdwainers.

Wba, Weha, sad, oppressed with woe, sorrowful. Sax. «mx, tS-
flictus. Sc wae, ** I am loraforyou" — I pity you. " She's
weha for him, poor man"*— she is very sorry for him.

Wead, very angry— -mad, in a figurative sense. Grose derives it
from wode; but Dr. Jamieson, with greater iH*obability, from
the old V. weH to become furious.

Wbakt, juicy, moist, watery. — Dur. V. Jamieson, wah*

WEALTHr, well fed ; spoken of cattle in that state.

Weam, Weimx, dialectical variations of Wame; which see.

Weart, vexatious, troublesome. So used in Hamlet's well-
known soliloquy. Sax. weerig^ malignus, infestus.

Wearying, a slow consumption, or long decline.

Weasan, Weazen, the wind-pipe, the larynx. Sax* wtuen*
Spenser writes it weasand.

Without rhyme or reason,

With an auld saw he wuddled his weasan.

Old Song on a FeUhde-te,

Weatheiugall, a phenomenon something like a second rainbow
— said to indicate bad weather. Germ. wauergaUe. V.
Nares' Gloss, water-^gall; and Jam. weddir^gaw.

Weather-gleam, clear sky near the horizon — ^spoken of objects
seen on the ridge of a lof^y hill, so as to appear as if in the
sky. In this situation, as Dr. Willan observes, a man looks
gigantic; he seems to tread on air, and to be clad with radi-
ance, like one of Ossian's departed heroes. The term seems
derived from Sax. wasdcr, coelum, and gleam, splendor.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

WEIG 9SNi

WrasTSRy a wwver* Sax. wMntre^ teztrix, a female weaver.
The use of this term, as remarked by Dr. Jamieson, mdicates
that, among our forefathers, the work of weaving was appro-
priated to women. This, it is well known, was the case
among the Greeks and other ancient nations, who considered
it an employment unworthy of the dignity of man. My learn-
ed correspondent, Mr. Hunter, however, does not assent to
Dr. Jamieson's inference. The word, he says, classes with
back-ster, maltnster, huck-ster, all of which can hardly be con-
sidered as feminine occupations.

Wbd, for weeded; a common abbreviation. — Dur.

Wbddbr, a male sheep after the second shearing. Sai(. weder.
See DiMMAN, or Dimmont.

Wbb, little, small. ** A wee bU**-^** A wee thing** V. Jam.
** Thy wee bit housie too, in ruin !'* Bums.

Web, a short while. ** Wait a we^* — ^have patience.

Webans, Weeanes, children — wee-onet^ little ones, small ones.
Sc weans.

Wbel, well. — ^Weel-to-dee, well4o^o, living comfortably, in
good circumstances— <fotiig weU,

Weei^smon-theb ! well come on thee. A pure Saxon inteijec-
tkm'—weeles mother literally ^ well is me of thee.'* This be-
nediction, fervently pronounced by an affectionate mother
when cares^ng a favourite child, has an endearing and fimiiliar
sweetness, inexpressibly gratifying. It is the voice of Nature
herself, speaking her own language.

Week, or Wear, to stop or oppose, to keep off, to guard. Sax.
weiian, prohibere, defendere. Dut. weeren,

Weet, v. to rain, to wet. — West, s. slight rain, wet weather.
Sax. wteta, humiditas. Chaucer uses wete, v, and a.

Weeze, a circular roll of straw, wool, or other soft substance, for
pfotecting the head under the pressure of a load or burthen.
Probably firom Teut. wase^ caespes; or it may be from ease.
Brand thinks it a corruption of wisp. Sc. waese.

Weight, an utensil used in bams for winnowing corn, and. about

Digitized by VjOOQIC

dSB WELK

fimi-hoiues for liftiiig gnda and sudi things with— >in form
like a dere, but without holes. It consists of a wooden rim,
with a sheep's pelt stretched over it. Sc. wecht, toeickL
Wekii is a term which occurs in the Bddon Book of the
county of Durham, and is still understood by the counixy peo-
ple to signify a measure of com. It seems from this andent
record, that the bishop, amongst other branches of the regalia,
had his own standard measure, which it was in his power to
increase or diminish. V. Surtees' History of Durham, Vol.
L, p. 27.

Welk, V, to dry, to wither. An old word. V. Todd's John.

Wblk, s, a Toluted shell-— a wUk, Sax. weak, a periwinkle.

Well, to weld. Swed. weUa. Sax. toellen, to be very hot.

Weix, is used in some of the Korthem counties as a kind of ex-
pletive, introductory to any sort of observation, connected or
unconnected, or even contrary to being tueil, Tlius, a person
will ask after a sick friend : *^ Well, how's John to-day?" and
will be answered, " well, he's fiir worse !" So a late worthy
Baronet, when passing sentence, as chairman of the Durham
Quarter Sessions, used to begin, "well, my honeai friend,
you've been convicted of felony," &c.

Welly, very near — well nigh. Sax. wel neah, Somner.

Welsh, insipid. Teut. gaelsch. Welsh and wallow are synony-
ma. Broth and water, and pottage without salt, are wallow
or welsh. A person whose fece has a raw, pale, and un-
healthy look — ^whom a keen frosty morning pinches, and to
whom it gives an appeai*ance of misery and poverty— has a
weUh and wallow face. A tuelsh day, is the same as a ^eefy
day, when it is neither thaw nor frost : but a wallow day is
when a cold, strong, and hollow wind prevails. Wallow, ap-
plied to the state of the weather, is perhaps only applicable in
a rugged and mountainous country.

Welter, to reel or stagger. Teut. weheren, volutare.

Wend, to go. The old present tense of wetU. Sax. wendan.
Not obsolete, as stated by Dr. Johnson.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

WHAC 827

Wend, or Wi^nd, a narrow street, or gmall court. 8c. wy^
an alley, a lane. Obviously from Sax. windan, to turn. The
word is still in use at Darlington and Stockton upon Tees.

WsNBDAT, the present vulgar word for Wednesday. Wetudaye
is found in our old lexicographer, Huloet. The term is deriv-
ed from Woden, the great deity of the Northern nations.

Went, for gone. Frequent in the North, as well as among the
Cockneys. V. Pegge's Anecd. Eng. Lang. p. 233.

Went, Wented, applied to milk when it has been kept till it be
approaching to sourness. Perhaps an euphonism for spoiled;
as we say of spoiled meat—it is gone. But see Tooke's curi-
ous article on vinny, decayed. Vol. II., p. 61.

Werrft, to tease. Not so violent a metaphor as Tue. If a
person, extremely ill, were importuned to any measure to
which he felt reluctant, or which was contrary to his inclina-
tion, he would request not to be werrited so much about it.
It has been suggested to me, that the word is used rather
more generally for any thing which gives that kind of pain
which an animal, beset at once by a pack of dogs, may be
supposed to feel. Whence, perhaps, it is worry, I may add
that worry, in our old language, was written werre.

To werre each other and to slay.— >Gr<w«r, Gmfi AnumL

Wesh, v. to wash. — ^Wesh, «. stale urine, sometimes used in
washing. Teut. wasch, lotura. V. Jamieson, wash*

Wet-hand, a drunken person; termed by Bewick (Fables of
^sop, p. 13S), *^ an old filtering stone." Seneca humor-
ously said of Tiberius — ^that he was never drunk but once;
and that once was all his life. In Kelly's Reminiscences, the
eccentric author gives us an epitaph, extracted from a tomb in
the Cathedral at Sienna, characteristic enough of the present
subject : ** Wine gives life ! it was death to me. I never
beheld the morning sun with sober eyes ; even my bones are
thirsty. — Stranger ! sprinkle my grave with wine; empty the
cup and depart.'*

Whack, a viUgar term for appetite. ^ What a whack h^s gotP

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SS» WHAC

Whack, v^ to strike or beat with yiolence. A fanatical of
Mt&odt.— WHACKy «. a loud blow. Not confined to the North.

Whacker, v. to tremble, to quake. — Whackering, trembling.

Whacker, «. a great lie. In a metaphorical sense.

Whacking, large, strong, bouncing. *^ A whacking fellow.'*

Whang, v. to flog — ^properly, to chastise with a thong. — Whang,
«• a leather-thong. Sax. thwang.

Whang, a thick or large piece of any thing eatable— especiallj of
bread or cheese. — Whanging, large, great.

Whap, V, to beat soundly. — Whap, <. a knock-down blow.

Whapper, or Wapper, any thing uncommonly large. In many
instances, as remarked by Dr. Willan, our fore&thers seem to
have estimated weights and magnitudes by the force of their
blows. Thus, they employed in gradation the terms sU^er,
smackeVj banger, thumper, thwacker, swinger, and rattler,.
The word bun^r, concerning which so much has been said
and surmised, the Doctor thinks, is not of a more exalted
origin than what is here stated.

Whart, or Whbart, a Northern pronundation of quart.

Each pay-^y fidrly.
He takes his wheatt right dearly,
'Bout Latin, Greek — o rarely—
Maybee he'll jaw 9.WHy.~~Ked Raw, T. T.

Wh^tten, what kind of, what. *• Whatten o* nMc is*t ?"

Whaup, the larger curlew. Scohpax arqtiata. Linnaeus. In
the Statistical Account of Scotland, an amusing /^rot^ of nation-
ality is recorded, where a Scotsman's taste led him to prefer
" the wheeple (whistle) of a whaup^\ to ** a' the nightingales
that ever sang." V. Vol. VIL, p. 600.

Whaup-i'-the-rape, hnot or twitt in the rop^— any thing going
wrong.

Whazle, or Wheezi;e, v. to draw tlie breath with difficulty.
Su.pGot. hwaeta. — ^Whazle, or Wheezle, «. an indication of
asthma. Applied also to the throat.

Whb, Wheb, who. Sc. who. " Whe*s there f' ** Whee's wi'
ye?"

Digitized by VjOOQIC

WHIC 329

Wheal, v. to gather, to suppurate. Sex. kut^lca, a pustule.
This verb is not in Todd's Johnson.

Wheam, smooth, sheltered, imperrious to the wind. Perhaptf^
as su^ested to me by a skilful etymologist, a corruption of
Holm, In Knarsdale, my correspondent remiarks, there is a
place called Whit-Wham, which he always believed to be
WhUe^Hoim ; and in West Allen, there is another place called
Wham^Lands, evid^tly from the situati<Mi, the HolmF-Land$,
But see Kennett.

Whean, to coax, to flatter. ^ What a wheaning way she has."

Whean, a few, a small quantity. ** A whean nout," said of cat-
tle. " A whean bairns." Mr. Lambe writes it wheen, V.
Notes on the Battle of Floddon, p. 72.

Whbi^, a thump or blow, the noise made by the falling of any
thing heavy.

Whemmel, Whobcmel, or Whuhmel^ v. to turn upside down,
to tumble over. Teut. wemelen, frequenter et leviter movere.

Whemmel, «. an overthrow ; figuratively, a down^mtr, or conti-
nuous fall of rain.

Wherewith, used tuhstantively for, money, or property.

Whet, Whit, White, to cut with a knife. Sax. hwUan.'-^
Whittle-te-whet, to sharpen, to set an edge on.

Whetstone. To give the whetstone as a prize for lying, was a
standing jest among our ancestors, as a satirical premium to
him who had the most creative imagination, and is not yet out
of use in the North. Brand, on the authority of the late Mr.
Punshon, (Pop. Ant., Vol. L, p. 431,) mentions a custom
among the colliers at Newcastle, of giving a pin to a person
in company by way of hinting to him that he is Jibbing; but
which, I tUnk, is now obsolete. It is, however, still usual in
Northumberland to ^ve a person a cork when he is thought
to exa^eiate in his narration.

Whetstone. To look as blue at a whetstone, to look blue with
cold. ...

Whew, or Whub, v, to whistle.— Whew, or Whue, s, a whistle.

Whick, quick, alive. " Which and alive,** a common laudatory
u u

Digitized by VjOOQIC

330 WHIC

expresnon in Newcastle, lunong certain ladies^ who tiehfaer
sell the best fish, nor speak the plainest English. Wh^ and
qvh^ seem convertible modes of spelling, especially among the
old Scots.

Whickbns, a general name for all creq>ing t>r ^oloniferous

• grasses or plants, which give the farmer so much trooUe to
eradicate. Qukk-^met — ^for there is no killing them.,

Whicks, plants or slips of the white thorn. " A tirAtcAr-hedge."

WniDDERy or WHrFHER, to shake, to quake, to shiver; hence a
whiffier alcold^ a shivering cold. " All in a whither^* — all in a
tremble. Probably fix>m qidver. *

Whibw, to fly hastily, to make great speed.

Whiff, a transient view, a glance. In a whiffy in a short tune.

Whig, sour whey. Sax. hwcsgy cerum. — ^Whiggbnn'd-whey, a
pleasant liquor made by infusing various aromatic herbs in

. whey, and sufiering it to undergo a fermentation — ^used by the
labouring people as a cooling beverage.

While, until. ^ Stay whUe I come beck.*' While is here for
till, and till for '^ to the time" — ^for whXI^ is time, and tiUia to
whiie. V. Tooke, Vol. I., R. 363.

Whiles, sometimes. ** It rains whiles,* — ^Whiloks, is also in
use in the same sense.

Whiuk, Whulk, which. Sax. hwUc. Dan. hviOce, Chaucer
uses whilke; and the same form of the word occurs in a very
curious old English instrument (temp. Henry Y.) in the pos-
session of Sir Henry Lawson, Bart.

Whilt, a term for an indolent person. - * An idle whUt^*

Whinob, to whine, to sob or cry peevishly. Su.<Got. vfenga,
plorare. V. Jamieson, quhynge.

Whinnerneb, a meagre, thin-faced person, with a sharp nose.
Grrose, following Ray, says, perhaps from some bird that feeds,
or is bred, among whins; but I think it is more likely fix>m
, Welsh, wyneb, a face, a visage.

Whins, gorse or furze. Ulex Eurapaus, Welsh, chwyn^

Whipperpand-hougheii, an officer of the Corporation, Newcas-
tle. See HouGHER.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

WHIS «3l:

WHiPPBiiFSifAPPBB» a diiiiinutive^ maigiiificant person. Mr.

Todd saysy it is a common expressions usually in ridicule or

contempt*
Whir, v. to fly off with a noise like game when sprung. Su.-

€rot. hurra, cum impetu drcumagi. — Whib, «. the sound

made by iJie wings of game— o£bn startling the nerves of a

young spcMtsman.

Full ninety winters hae I seen

And piped where gorcocks wMrrkig flew.

Pickering, DoHodU Head.

Whisht! be silent^ hush! hitt/ " l^F^ifA^, woman, whisht T*
This vulgarism, if such it be, is not without ancient authority,
being used by honest old Latimer.

\fHisK, V, to go out, or to pull any thing out, hastily.

Whisk, «. a vulgar pronunciation of whist. This game is more
ancient than is supposed. Strutt is mistaken in saying, that
it first occurs in the Beaux Stratagem ; for it is mentioned,
under the old name of whisk, in the works of Taylor, tde
Water Poet, a noted character in the reign of Charies I.

Whisket, or WiSKiT, a sort of basket. V. Nares's Glossary.

Whisky, the modem and well-known ^term for usquebaugh, a
Gaelic word signifying the water of life.

Whissontide, Whitsuntide. — Whisson-scnday, Whitsunday.
Whitsutirsunda^ is also used : and if whitsun-tide be correct,
diis will be so too.

Whistle, ** the mouth; the organ of whistling," says Dr. John-
son; quoting Walton's Angler.

liCt^s drink the other cup to wet our whistles, and so sing away
all sad thoughts.

Here whistle surely means the throat. In the North, to wet
Wilis wfastle is a common phrase for, to take a good drink i
and— without charging the amiable old Izaac with tippling —
that, in all probability, was his meaning. Indeed, the us^ of
. the expression in this sense is' very ancient.

I weie my whysteU as good drinkers ^o-^Palsgi-ave,

Digitized by VjOOQIC

d9» WHIT

White, to requite. '^ Qod tahUe y<m I** V.Ray.

Whitehbft, flattery, cimning. ^ Whtteheft o' LuimunT

White:PLOUoh, another name for Fool^plaugh; so denominated
from the young men composing the Pageant being dressed ia
white. See Fool^flough.

WflrrE-HERBiNGya piekled>and net afreih herring— *wiUi all due
deference to Mr. Archdeacon Nares. See his Glossary, where
it is stated, in regard to Steevens's explanation (similar to
my own) and his reference to the N'orthuwberland Hotuehold
Booky that " there ^ree are ordered for a young lord or lady's
breakfiist, and/our for my lord's, which no lord or lady could
pottUdy eat." This may be quite true; but what does it
prove ? From Bishop Percy's pre&ce to the book, it appeara
that the Earl was a nobleman of great magnificence and taste;
and considering the splendid establbhment detailed in that
curious memorial of the olden time, more white herrings might
be provided *' for a young lord or lady's breaki^t," as well as
*' for my lord's," than they actually did, or *^ could possibfy
eat:'

WHrrE-NEs'D-CBAW, a provincial designation for the rook.

Whitling, a much-admired species of trout, the history of whidi
is very little known. They are frequently taken in the river
Tyncj but like the brandling and the. salmon-smelt, always
without spawn. In some parts they are called wMHtigs, and
are generally .supposed at last to become salmon. Sw. htoU-
lingf a whiting.

Whittee-whatteeing, speaking low and privately— whbpering
between two persons, to the exclusion of a third — also inde-
dsion, or procrastination, on firivolous pretences. The ety-
mology of words of this peculiar form is extremely uncertain.

Whittle, v. to haggle in cutting. Cumb, and West,

WHrrTLE, s, a knife; generally a ckup-knife. Sax. whytel; and
that, probably, from Goth, huet tol, a sharp instrument. A
whittle was a knife, such as was formerly carried about the
person by those whose quality did not entitle them to the
distinction of a sword. Long knives were forbidden to be

Digitized by VjOOQIC

WHYL 3Sa

-worn in the City of London or Westminster in ISdl, during
the sitting of Parliament. ** An harden sark, a gwe gratHng,
and a wkUtie gaU,^* were all the salary of a clergyman^ not
many years ago, in Cumberland; in odier words, his entire
stipend consisted of a shirt of coarse linen, the right of com*
moning geese, and the more valuable privilege of using a knife
and foric at the taUe of his parishioners.

Much is the duty— small the legal due.

CrahbeU Borough.

Whizzeb, a fidsdiood. More wind than truth. See Fizzle^

Who, Sho, Shoe, fcv she. I am inddiited to .!Mr. Justice Bay-
ley for reminding me of this strange mutation, in our Northern
usage—occasionally to be met with. Heo is the ancient
Saxon form, still retained in some places. V. Verst^gan.

Whoft, Whuft, put, placed-^embracing the idea of tukipped,
*" He whopt his foot on't."

Whripb, to complain peevishly, to whimper, to whine.

Whubry, wherry^ a large boat — a sort of barge or lighter. —
Newc, Bryant says, the name wherry is very ancient, and, by
the Romans, was expressed horia. Thomson derives it from
Goth, veerjcy a ferry-boat.

Aw thowt aw*d myek a voyage to Shields
Iv Jemmy Joneson*8 vhurry.-^Locdl Song.

Whussel, a corruption of whistle. — Whussel-wood, the alder
and plane-tree ; used by boys in making whistles.

Whuther, to beat, to flutter. Cognate to Whidder, or
Whither.— Whuthering, a throbbing or palpitation at the
heart.

Why, or Whye, a young cow. See Quey.

Whyllymer, a species of cheese remarkable for its poverty; of
which it might be safely asked (saving both meat and mense)
^ wh^U ha* mare ?" In a note to Anderson's Ballads, its sur-
&ce is aaid to be so hard, that it frequently bids defiance to the

Digitized bf dOOQlC

334 WIDD

k^«tt edge of a Cumbrian gulfy, and its interior substance so
very toi]gfa> that it afibrds rather occupation to the teeth of a
rustic than nourishment to his body, making his hour of repast
the severest part of his day's labour.

WiDDBRSFULy kboHously endeavouring^ actively striving.

WiDDBT, a tough bend made of oziersy partially dried in the fire;
used for many agricultural purposes. The iron ring, uniting
the band of a cow and the post to which she is tied, is, in some
places, still called a widdey, from its having been made of
oziers before the common use of iron. ** As tough om a wid-'
dey** Old £ng. wythe; from Sax. toHkig; and that fix>m
vfUhiEn, to join ; whence, says Tooke, the preposition wkk*

WiDDLE, to fret. Germ, wedeln^ to wag, to move? V. Jam.
widdiiL

WiDS-coAT, an upper or great coat. Periu^s not peculiar.

Widow-bewitched, a married woman separated from her hus-
band.

Wife, a woman, whether married or not^ * An apple wife^ —
•* A fith wifeP — ** A tripe wife,^* Sax. wift mufier, fonnna.
Chaucer uses wife simply for woman.

Wio, a kind of small cake, or bun. '^ A plain wigJ*^"^ A spice
wig** Teut. wegghe, panis triticeus. Kilian.

Wiggle-waggle, tremulous undulating motion, a wriggle.

WiGHTY, strong and active. V. Todd's Johnson, wight.

WiK, WrcK, a comer; as the tM% of the mouth. Su.-Got. wih,
angulus. Sc. weik, week,

WiKE, Wick, Wicker, a mark used in setting out tithes; gene-
rally a small branch of a tree.

Will, for shall; and. Would, for should; are nusapplied passim
« The North Countreye." The Northumbrian gentry,
though much addicted to the use of this peculiar idiom, (fisre-
lish any admonition of their mistakes. Such errors, however,
are incorrigible, both in them and in their neighbours, the Scots.
Even such writers as Blair and Robertson are not always ex-
empt from this inveterate disfigurementr

Digitized by VjOOQIC

WISE 335

Willet-Wand, ft fttem of the willow. Sax. w^ig, and wand.
** A mere unUey'Wttnff^ — applied to a tall, thin person.

Win, to dry hay by exposing it to the air, to get in harvest gene-
rally. Sax. tuindwian, ventilare. Teut. winnenf coUigere
fructus terrae. Our farmers speak of " Well won hay**

Yt feUe abowght the Lamasse tyde,

Whan husbonds wytm ther haye.
The dowghtye BowglaaK bowynd hym to ryde.

In Ynglond to take a praye.— Jffa/«fe of Otterboume.

Win, to raise, to get ; as coals from a nun^, or stones from a
quarry. Su.-Got. winna^ laborare, labore acquirere. Sax.

Winder, v. to separate grain from the chaff— to winnow.
Winder, a window. V. Craven Glossary, wmder; and Naregy

windore.
WiNDLB-STRBA, or WiNNEL-sTREE, a dry Stalk or stem of grass

in old poor pastures. Sax. windel^treowe.
Windy, noisy, loquacious, marvellous in narration.

Though he is a toindy body, when he gets in his auld warld
stories, he has mair gumption in him than most people.

JRedgautUkL

WiNDT-WALLETS, a noisy, gasconading fellow— one who is ac-
customed to magnify in conversation.

Winkers, the eyes — ^the eyelashes. ** Maw winkers to dasasle^

Winn A, Winnot, provincialisms for, will not.

Winsome, Wunsobie, lively, cheerful, gay. Sax. winsum.

Winter, an instrument of iron hung against the bars of a fire-
place, used to heat smoothing irons upon. V. Jam. Supp.

WiRDLE, to perform any thing laboriously and slowly. A re-
spected friend, now no more, suggested work and dele — ^to
work gradually.

Wise, to show or direct, to lead or turn out. Sax. wiiian^
monstrare. Swed. visa, to show, to exhibit. ** Wise him
in.»'— *< Wise out the horse."r-*« Wise the door open." It

Digitized by VjOOQIC

336 WISS

also mean^ to iiiibimte» to w<M intoi itt to Me iat» conpn^
or into feroor; that is, to do it cnnningly.

Wise, to let go. * Jf^ke off that rope/'— •• Wise off yam gun.**

WisB-LiKiy poesessing the uppearaiice of wisdoni or pnpnety.
Sax. toiS'-Hc, sapiens, pmdens.

WuB-MAH, a periphrasis for a conjuror, or wizard. In- the dark
ages, when astrdogy was in rogue, thieyes were kept in sur-
prising awe by the cunmng men with long beards and white
wands. If the same effect could now be produced^ it might be
well to revive the Black Art, Certain it is, that wretches,
pretenders to occult science, are stiH occasbnally consulted
by the lower and more ignorant classes.

Wit, Wite, v. to know. Mae.-Qot. and Sax. tuUa»» Sa«*Got.
iiifffo,sdre. *« To fc^ «»*"— to inform.

WiTCR-wooB, the mountain ash. See Roiw-nvEB.

Wite, v. to blame, to reproach. Sax. wUan, imputare. — ^Wite,
«. blame, imputation. A Chaucerian word, retained by Spen-
ser. Su.-Got. wUe, poena. Swed. vite^ pecuni«ry punish-
ment. Sc. wyte.

WrriNo, WrrriNG, knowledge, judgment, wit. See Wrr, Wite.

Wittering, a hint. Sc. wUtryng, information, knowledge.

WiTTfi-wiTTE-WAT^ a game among boys — ^which I do not remem-
ber in the South of England.

Wiv, with.— ^or<A. and Dwr.— Wi'.— Fo«t.

Wizened, Wizzenbd, Wizzent, dried, parched, withered, wrin-
kled, shrivelled. Sax. touruan^ arescere. Sw. vitina^

WoAD, WuD, WuDE, mad, frantic, furious. Sax. wod, insa-
nus, fttriosus. Sc wod, wud. Wode occurs several times in

' Chaucer.

WoMMEL^ or WuMBLE, an auger. From winAie.

Won, Wun, to dwell, to haunt or frequent. A very old word,
but not obsolete, as stated by Ash; being quite common in
Cumb. and Lane. Sax. womany wunian. Teut. woonen, habi-
tare, frequentare. Cornish, wonnenf to stay, to tany.

Woo, wool.' A common pronundation in many places.

WoBjOUr.— WoRSBixs, ourselves.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

WORM 197

Wosii^ a serpent of great magnitwdey and <£ ternfic descriptioii
—a hideous monster in the shape of a worm or dragon.. The
i^licadon of this title to the serpent tribe is very genera],
and has been used with great latitude. Indeed, the similarity
of form naturally led to it. The Italian poets call the infernal
serpent of old ** H gran Venue;** and Milton's Adam is made
to reproach £ve with having lent an ear "^ to that false taorm."
Shefcspeare, too, speaks of slander's tongue as outvenoming
** all the womu of Nile." Worm is a Teutonic word for ser-
pent; and Germ, vmrnh is used for a dragon, as well as a
worm. M<B.-Got. waurm, signifies a serpent; and orm has
the same meaning in the Su^-Got. and Dan. languages. Sax.
irarm, also, sometimes occurs in this sense. Popular tradi-
tion has handed down to us, through successive generations,
with very little variation, the most romantic detuls of the ra-
vages conumtted by these all-devouring worms, and of the
valour and chivalry displayed by their destroyers, l^thout
attempting to account for the origin of such tales, or pretend-
ing in any manner to vouch for the matters of feet contained
in them, it qmnot be disguised, that many of the inhabitants
of the county of Durham in particular, still implicitly believe
in these aadent superstitions. The Worm of Lambton is a
family legend, the authenticity of which they will not allow to
be questioned. Various adventures and supernatural inci-
dents have been transmitted from father to son, illustrating the
devastation occasioned, and the miseries inflicted by the mon-
ster — and marking the self-devotion of the Knight of the
Lambton fiunily, through whose intrepidity the worm was
eventually destroyed. But the lapse of centuries has so com-
pletely enveloped in obscurity the particular details, that it is
imposoble to give a narration which could in any degree be
eoasidered as complete. The story related in my friend Mr.
Surtees' splendid and elaborate History of Durham is incor-
rect in many particulars. Those parts, which allude to the
profane fishing on a Sunday, and the consequences resulting
from it, are mere modem disfigurements of the original tradition,

XX

Digitized by VjOOQIC

388 WORMf

utterly at vimnce with the atate of the tioies — aftnui^
meats on thfe Sabbath,, in those days, when OatholicisnL pre-

' vailed, not bding regarded as an act of profiineness. A coniCEd
hill is shown on the banks of the Wear, about two miles from
Lambton Cattle, which- from time immemorial has been called
the Worm HUl^ and round which this great serpent is said to
have coiled itself.— Another old, and wdl*authenticated Bur-
ham legend, ik the Dragon^ Wormy or Flying Serpent of Sodt'
bumf described as a monster that devoured men, women,
and children, hnd which was vanquished and slain by Sir John
Conyers; in piemory whereof his soverdgn gave him the
manor of Sockbum, to hold by the tenure of presenting to
every Bishop, bn. his first entraince into the county after his
election to the see, the fidchion with which tins gaUani and
successful adventure was achieved^-a ceremony still conti-
nued, honoris causa.

WoRMiT, worm-wood. The common people consider tiiis heib a
prophylactic against fleas, and accordingly place it about their
beds. ' ^

Worry, to eat voraciously, to choak, to su£R)cate. V. Ray.

Worsen, v. n. to become worse. Used as v. a. by AGlton^

Wou, the worst kind of swipes. ** Fartfdng wotiJ* The word
is also applied to weak tea, or any other worthless liquor* •

WowL, to cry, to howl. Shakspeare uses wawl,

Wrang, wrong* Pure Saxon. — Wrangsly, fidsely.

Wrat, or Rat, a wart on t^e finger or &ce< Dut. and Sc.
wrai.

Wreck, sea-weed ; much used for manuring land«

Wreckung, an unhealthy feeble child — ^the youngest or weakest
of the breed among animals— the smallest bird in the nest —
any ill-grown creature. SeeDowpY.

Wridden, or Wreeden, cross, ill-natured, perv€r6e-r-t(»ii^lA«s;
applied in particular to children.

Wrout, to bore, to dig up Uke a hog, to root. Sax* wroUm,
subigere. Chaucer has wrote.

WuD, with. — Cumbt " God be witd her" — God rest her soul.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

YAMM S39

WtnxAJB, to serer by short and frequently*renewed efforts. For

authority see Wbasan.
Wyb, Wya, well, yes. — ^Wye — ^Wyb, very well; yes, yes, A

common expression of assent. "Fr.puu
Wtlecoat, a vest for a child ; genen^y of flannel. V. Jamieson,

wylecot.
Wyllembnt, or WoLLSKBrar, a paje, skkly looking person.

Y.

V. The use of tlusietter, as a vowel, is yery frequent in the
diphdiongal language of the North ; as tfaitSy oats ; yak, oak ;
i^earthy earth, &c. &c. In the country dialect the Baxon ea is
almost uniformly pronounced ^a.

Ya«lbs, Ybbuns, Yeablesab, Yebblesee, perhaps. See Ab-

UNS*

Yaiting, or Ybatino, |i single sheaf of com. Identical with
Gating, or Gaitino. See Gate, or Gait.

Yal, Yall, ale. A, in this, and many other provincial words, is
sounded like yaw.

Yammer, to fret, to wbtine, to complain— or rathor to repeat the
Bkaxe complaint. Also to cry like a dog in pain, or when it is
wantmg to follow its master if shut up from him. Germ.
jafrnmerUy to complain. Swed,^*Jmra ng, to lament— ^/Jntm^r,
lamentation.
. Yammering, making a loud and continual noise; such as pro-
ceeds from contentious women, or from fretful and peevish
children. The word, indeed, stands for a tery complex idea,
into which enters a combination, of habitual fretfrdness, dis-
content, brawling, and anger.

Come, dinna, dinna whinge an* whipe,
like yanmef^mg Isbel Macky.

Song, Bt^ Crankjft Adieu.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

S4b VAN

Yan, Ybn, one— Yancb, Ybnce, once.— YAifsstL, Ybii^bli.,

one's self.

Yap^ Bpt, quick. Sax. gep, astutus. In Pars' Houghnian I find
yepy which Dr. Whitaker connders of the same origin, and exr
plains in the sense of alert and T^oroos.

Yap, Ybp, an opprobrious epithet to a youngster — an ape.

Yarb, alert, nnnble, fit, ticklish. Hie word occurs In TA# MM
laover of Beaumont and Fletcher, in a sense not yery ddicale
to modem ears.

Yark, or Yerk, to wrench or twist forcibly — to jerk.

YARK,to beat soundly, t6 coiirect sevo^ly. Isl. A/*«dba,pal-
sare. A fevourite word among the vulgar.

Yabnut, an earth-nnt. See Arnot, Awifur.

Yatb^ Yat, Yet, a gate. Both Chaucer and Spenser use yate.
^ As old as PandoThyate,** is a local proverb of great antiqiiily ;
bat Pandon Gate — ^the oldest of all tiie fine antiqiie towers
that once adorned those veneraUe walls, whidiy in the days of
Leland, who visited them three hundred years ago> lor
^ strength and magnificens far passeth al the cities of Bug-
land, and most of the townes of Europe"— to the regret of
every man of taste, was totally demolished in I7dd; suice
which, a spirit of modem, and, it is feared, mercenary innovB-
tion, has attacked with unrelentii^ gnpe, many other interest-
ing memorials of our former state. The antiquary, who
remembers, with kindred emotion, these ages that are gone by,
has the yearly mortification of sedng one vestige after another
give way to the most clumsy and ta^^dess substitate. Divieng
tempi, diversi costumi.

Yatb-stoop, Yat-stoop, Yet*8Toop, a gate post.

Yaud, or Yawd, a common name among country pe<^le fcir a
horse— a jade, A druidical temple, in Cumberland, goe» by
the name of the ** Grey Yauds," probaldy from the cokwr of
the stones.

Yaup, to cry loudly and incessantly, to lament. Teut. gtdpeuf
gannire ihstar vulpis. Kilian. — Yavping, crying, shoutmg.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

YOVL 341

Y«W> V. to be hungry >»Yaup^ a. having a keen fi^pelifce— hun-
gry.

YsATHERy or Yeddbb, a flexible twig used far Innding hedges.

YsunuBy the Northern pronunciadon of able.

Yek, the oak. See Aac. ** He's as hard as yek and iron''— a
comnion Nt^thumbrianisni. *

Yvud, barren; as a cow that does not give milk.

Yxi^ ale. Su» «a^.— *Ybll-housb, an ale-house. — Yell-wife,
the lady of ^ mme ^Mi/'-^also a hostess in her own right.
SeeYAi^YAUU

.Ysu/nr-TOVUET, a Northern name for the yellow bundng, xx
yellow hammer. Embema cUrineUa, linnseus. A vulgar
prgudice eadsts in Scotland against this bird. V. Jam.yr^

Yelp^ to shout, to cvy out i as it were Uke a dog* See Yaup.

YsLPigty a popular name lor the avoset, which frequents the sea

. shores of this kingdom in winter, and makes a shrill noise.

Yebsimg, rennet. Germ, gerinnen, to coagulate. A plant used
in North Tmdale, for the purpose of curdling milk for cheese,
is called yeming grtus. See Kbsup.

Yetlbtc^ a small pan or boiler. So called, I suppose, from being
made jof <;af^ mdki^ V. Jamieson, ^^f/oyid.

Yeitk^ V, to itdu Teut jeucken^ prurire. Dut jeuken. — ^Yeuk:,
«. a cutaneous disease^jocosely denominated the plague of
Scothmd ; from an idea of its bdng so prevalent in that coun-
try. See Scotch-fiddle.

YsuKT, prurient; especially in a sense inadmissible here. Yekm^
pruritus, occurs in Prompt. Parv.

Yisserday, yesterdayr-*Yis$EBNSET, yesternight.

YoR, your.— ^Yobpsbll, yourself.

York ha$ the higher rack^ hH Dubhah ike deeper manger^ a
homely Northern proverb, which the sagacious reader will have
no difficulty in applying.

YouL, Yowl, to cry, to howl. Isl. gokiy ululare. The super-
stitious are much afraid when they hear la dog ywd near thdr

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of die^unily. Hhk is a very <M ortide of popular beHeC

YoDTy to cry, to roar. Teat, iuyten^ vocfoari.

Youth, is often used in die sense of vigorous age; as, ^lieis a
Bne old youth.**

Vow, YowB, a ewe. Sax. eotoa^ ovis fi^emina.

Yule, the time of Christinas-*-^ festival ob^tervediong before
the introduction of Christianity. Among the Korliiern na-
tions, it appears to have been an annual feast in honour of
the sun, when that great luminary b^an to revert after the
winter solstice. The Romans at this period of the year also
celebrated the Saturnalia. The Greenlanders still keep a
feast to testify thdr joy at the return of the sun to the Nor-
thern hemisphere. V. Crantz, Vol. L, p. 176. Various
conjectures have been formed as to the orig^ of the name, biit
it is difficult to determine which etymon ought to beprefigrred.
The chief cognate terms are Su.-Got. and Swed. ^'ti/. Pan.
juidm M,jok Ssaugeola. TeuUjoeL

In the good old days of English plenty and hospitafiiy, the
festivities at Christmas were universally felt and enjoyed by all
ranks of society ; and this season, otherwise gloomy and deso*^
late, was passed in the interchange of social visits^ These
entertainments, it is pleasing to remark, are not altogether
driven from our yule fire-sides in the North; though thesn^
perstitious observances, with which the day used to be cete-
brated, are now grown rare, if not entirely discontinued. .

YuLB-CANDLB, a large mould*candle, lighted and set on the sup-
per-table on Christmas eve. It is considered unlucky to snuff
it until the concludon of the repast. This custom, no doubt,
originated in times of heathenism. It bears great resemblance
to the Roman Saturnalia, in the celebration of which li^ts
were used.

YuLB-cLoc;, a lai^ block or log of wood laid on the fire on
Christmas Eve, and kept burning all the following day, or
longer, if possible. A portion of the old dog of the preceding

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. year is sometiiiieB saved to l^ht up Ae new blodc at the next
Christmas, and to preserve the fiunily from harm in the mean
time. Herricky a minute describer of the superstitions of his
times, in allusion to this custom, says.

Part must be kept wherewith tp teend.

The Christinas Log next yeare ;
And Where 'tis sa^y kept, the Fiend

Can do no tnischiefe (there).

Ceremornesfir Candlematse Day.

As knowledge advances,super8tition almost necessarily recedes.
Yet even now — extensively as rational education and intelli-
gence are diffusing among every rank of society, and rapid as
has been ** the march of intellect" — ^many grave and sensible
persons, though ashamed to own a belief in supernatural
agency of any sort, are still so far influenced in their manner
of thinking, as to be uncomfortable in the idea of entirely
neglecting the superstitious notions imbibed in early life.
They affect to doubt what, in their hearts, they believe and
are afraid of. Such is ever the despotism of the imagination
over minds imperfectiy cultivated.

YiTLB-DOtrGK, a Christmas cake, or rather a Httie image of paste,
studded with currants, and baked for children at this season of
th^ year ; intended, originally, perhaps, for a figure of the child
Jeiiius, with the Virgin Mary. Y. Ihre, julbrod^-Bnd Brand's
Pop. Antiq., Vol. L, p. 410.

Yule-games, gambols customary during the hilarity of Christ-
mas.

YcJi^pLouGH, a name for the Christmas Pageant described under

FoOL-PLOUGH.

YuRE, the udder of an animaL Dan. yver, a dug. Dut. idjen

THE END.

t*:><?y.

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